May 2021 - Total Food Service

NEWS

By Fred Klashman

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLY MANUFACTURING

MIDDLEBY’S FITZGERALD STUNS EQUIPMENT & SUPPLY INDUSTRY WITH WELBILT BUY M uch like the Pandemic itself, last month’s news that The Middleby Corporation had announced plans to purchase one of its major competitors, Welbilt, is set to impact everyone and anyone involved in the restaurant and foodservice industry across the nation and the globe.

The impact begins with restaurateurs and the equipment and supply dealers that serve them. Both Middleby and Welbilt create dozens of brand name equipment and supplies that are used in a vast array of kitchens. The most pressing of those questions is what impact the proposed acquisition will have on pricing of heavy-duty kitchen equipment and supplies.

The proposed deal brings back reflection to the similar scenario that the industry dealt with in 2013. In a proposed agreement, Sysco announced that it would acquire US Foods for $8.2 billion. But in June 2015, US Federal Judge Amit Mehta

ruled that the combined Sysco-US Foods would control 75% of the U.S. foodservice industry and that would stifle competition. Within days, Sysco terminated its merger with US Foods.

The industry is also waiting to see what impact the Middleby/Welbilt deal would have on the equipment representation community.

Restaurant and kitchen equipment manufacturers typically engage the services of local rep/ firms. Those firms market multiple lines of hot and cold kitchen equipment as well as small wares to their local restaurant equipment and supply dealers.

The question becomes one of consolidation to reflect the elimination of completion. With Middleby manufacturing the Turbo Chef line and Welbilt marketing the Merrychef

“The combination of our two great companies creates a leading player with a comprehensive product line, global footprint and advanced technologies and solutions that are well positioned to serve our rapidly changing customer needs and capitalize on emerging industry trends.” — Tim FitzGerald 2 • May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

line, one option may be to consolidate the representation of the lines under the Middleby umbrella. In the case of Metro New York, the wellrespected Pecinka Ferri rep group has the entire Middleby line, while Garden State based P3 Reps handles Merry Chef.

Among the key questions in advance of representation and distribution of the newly combined operation is the actual fate of some of the lines. Will government approval of the deal be contingent upon the sale of competing brands (MerryChef and TurboChef ) etc.? Or will the new board with the input of Welbilt investor Carl Icahn simply choose to extinguish some of the newly acquired brands? That strategy may prove to be consistent with Welbilt’s 2020 plant closings and job cuts to adjust for the impact of the pandemic on the restaurant industry. The company said at the time that it was shuttering five of its 10 North American plants for one to two weeks, as well as three of its six

facilities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

It will also be interesting to see the impact that the proposed deal has on the industry’s trade shows.

Both Middleby and Welbilt have long been major exhibitors on the show floors of key events including the NRA-National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Milan’s Host Milan and the NAFEMNorth American Food Equipment Manufacturing Show. Time will tell whether the newly formed company will consolidate its trade show exhibit space and footprint as convention centers and shows welcome guests once again later this year.

The deal brings to the forefront one of the industry’s key executives that has toiled tirelessly in the background. For the better part of a decade, Middleby CEO Timothy FitzGerald worked in the shadows of the iconic Selim Bassoul. “This announcement represents a milestone

continued on page 4

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

MIDDLEBY/WELBILT

from page 2

event for Middleby, Welbilt and the Commercial Foodservice Equipment industry.

The combination of our two great companies creates a leading player with a comprehensive product line, global footprint and advanced technologies and solutions that are well positioned to serve our rapidly changing customer needs and capitalize on emerging industry trends. The acquiMiddleby Corporation CEO Tim FitzGerald sition of Welbilt is a transformational opUnder Bassoul’s rein with FitzGerportunity for Middleby ald executing the vision, Middleby and a compelling combination that stock rose more than 1,500 percent will benefit all of our stakeholders,” during the past 10 years. The duo’s FitzGerald said. “We are excited to steady stream of acquisitions lifted welcome the Welbilt team and we annual revenue from $127 million will benefit from the highly talented to nearly $3 billion before Bassoul’s group they have assembled.”

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retirement in 2019.

Middelby’s commercial foodservice portfolio includes Anets®, APW Wyott®, Bakers Pride ®, Beech®, BKI®, Blodgett®, Blodgett Combi®, Bloomfield ®, Britannia®, CarterHoffmann®, Celfrost®, Concordia®, CookTek®, Crown ®, CTX®, Desmon ®, Deutsche Beverage®, Doyon ®, Eswood®, EVO ®, Firex®, Follett®, frifri®, Giga®, Globe®, Goldstein®, Holman®, Houno ®, IMC ®, Induc®, Ink Kegs ®, Inline Filling Systems ®, Jade ®, JoeTap ®, Josper®, L2F®, Lang®, Lincat®, MagiKitch’n ®, Market Forge ®, Marsal®, Meheen®, Middleby Marshall®, MPC ®, Nieco ®, Nu-Vu ®, PerfectFry®, Pitco®, QualServ®, RAM®,

Southbend®, Ss Brewtech ®, Star ®, Starline®, Sveba Dahlen®, Synesso®, Tank ®, Taylor®, Thor®, Toastmaster®, TurboChef®, Ultrafryer®, Varimixer®, Wells®, Wild Goose® and Wunder-Bar ®.

Welbilt traces its roots back to New York. In 1929 when brothers Henry and Alexander Hirsch founded the Welbilt Stove Co. The company was called Welbilt until 2000 when it changed its name to Enodis.

Wisconsin-based The Manitowoc Company bought Enodis in 2008 and the current company was spun off in 2016 as the rechristened Manitowoc Foodservice Inc. It changed its name back to Welbilt.

With the industry, now welcoming back its dining patrons, and many restaurants about to be flush with the cash infusion of the $28 billion RRF grant funding, the timing to make this new venture succeed seems perfect. Let’s see if regulators agree.

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

NEWS

TRADE SHOWS

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR THE NAFEM SHOW 2021 IN ORLANDO, FL Industry-leading show puts attendees at the center of the foodservice equipment world

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egistration is open for The NAFEM Show, the leading biennial exhibition of innovative foodservice equipment and supplies. The NAFEM Show is live and in person Aug. 26-28, Orange County Convention Center (OCCC), Orlando, Fla. “This year’s show promises to be unlike other years, and while some things will be different, our team is committed to offer an exciting environment where attendees and exhibitors can connect, explore and build their operations,” said The NAFEM Show Chair Deron Lichte, CFSP, FWE Food Warming Equip-

ment Company, Inc., Crystal Lake, Ill. “After this past year, it’s so important to move our industry forward.”

Attendance is open to commercial foodservice equipment and supplies purchasing decisionmakers including dealer/distributors, kitchen and restaurant management consultants, any foodaway-from home operations such as independent, chain and quick service restaurants, colleges & universities, C-store, grocery, concessions,

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Publishers Leslie & Fred Klashman Advertising Director Michael Scinto Art & Web Director Mark Sahm SCOOP News Editor and Senior Contributing Writer Joyce Appelman Contributing Writers Morgan Tucker Francine Cohen Leslie Super Editorial Interns Wyatt Semenuk Claudia Giunta Paola Zevallos Brian O’Regan

K-12 schools, hospitals, senior living, military and corporate dining.

Register to attend before July 1 for just $40. First-time attendees are eligible for the scholarship program, good for a complimentary badge plus $500 toward travel expenses.

For more information, including all The NAFEM Show is doing to provide a safe show experience for all attendees and exhibitors, visit www.thenafemshow.org.

The NAFEM Show is brought to you by the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM), a trade association of more than 600+ foodservice equipment and supplies manufacturers providing products for food preparation, cooking, storage and table service.

The show floor at The NAFEM Show 2019

Main Office 282 Railroad Ave. Greenwich, CT 06830

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

continued on page 102

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

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

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

NEWS

OPERATIONAL SOLUTIONS

THE MAD DASH TO REOPEN - OVERCOMING HIRING AND ONBOARDING CHALLENGES

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he food service industry as a whole has been the hardest hit. As we all plunged into lockdowns of various levels, one thing remained clear the hospitality industry - and food along with it - suffered greatly with reduced staff and drastic adaptations made to maintain some momentum. Sadly, we saw many wellknown local eateries slowing to a close, impacting not only the economy but livelihoods as well.

Moving into Spring, the public is optimistic for the resurgence of hospitality and eateries alike. As we embark on our collective new normal, increased outdoor dining is happening - this often means employers on the back-end are working fearlessly to quickly build back their team.

Yet; with the mad dash to reopen, quickly hiring and onboarding employees is a challenge. Not only is there competition from neighboring businesses to find and hire the best talent, there is a challenge to quickly get people on your payroll - and with minimal contact. Businesses are adapting how they hire and onboard just as they have adapted to everything else in the past year.

Searching for Talent While Remote Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of hiring in the current environment is maintaining distance while remote. It has now become a norm to reduce the amount of face-to-face contact for health and safety reasons; yet, when

tion, employers can automatically set interview schedules that fit their busy calendar while also allowing for video conferencing-styled interviews. What this has done is enable employers to continue to focus on the operations of their business while allowing these systems to do the heavy lifting in the background.

It adds a little more automation to the whole process, while keeping some of the human element intact.

it comes to recruitment and interviewing potential hires, this process presents a challenge, especially for hospitality. Much of hospitality recruitment is done best face to face and in person, due to the nature of finding the right fit for the customer experience. Fortunately, there are solutions out there, like applicant tracking applications, that have done the hard work and adapted their systems to offer a paralleled hiring experience.

Using intelligent filtering and “knockout questions”, employers can filter out bad candidates before they even look at a resume. Some

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even require a video introduction allowing the applicant to record a short video on their phone and submit it alongside their application. This helps the hiring manager in maintaining a connection with a potential recruit while also gaining a sense of a person’s personality before beginning the interview process.

While interviewing has fallen more in favor of traditional ways, such as phone call screenings, our digital age has enhanced this process with solutions that could only be viewed as innovative. Automation is the term for 2021 and through automa-

Onboarding Talent While Remote Onboarding has forever changed.

From in-person paperwork, orientation, and training - onboarding, for a majority, if not all, businesses have been conducted remotely. In many ways, traditional forms of onboarding was an administrative burden as half the day was lost in forms and documents alongside updating payroll and employee schedules.

Ramping up business does not afford employers the luxury of wasting time on lost paperwork. Getting the employee to be ready to work and have all the documentation completed as soon as they step into the kitchen is the most important and efficient way to operate. Much like Applicant Tracking, Onboarding solutions have begun to embrace the idea of remote onboarding, in a paperless process.

Once an employee is offered a job, they are introduced to an onboarding step-by-step process that organizes and controls the requisition

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FOODSERVICE, REAWAKENED

TABLETOP CONSULTING

DESIGN & BUILD

FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

JANITORIAL & PPE

PAPER & DISPOSABLES

“Singer is the perfect equipment

partner. Their team of experts works closely with our team to design, build and supply all our kitchen and bar spaces for Knead Hospitality + Design, bringing our restaurant visions to reality.”

Jason Berry, Founder & Principal, Knead Hospitality + Design Gatsby in Washington, D.C.

www.singerequipment.com

Design & Build: Singer EVI / Photography: Rey Lopez Architect: //3877 General Contractor: Herman-Stewart May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 9

NEWS

By Wyatt Semenuk

COMMUNITY SERVICE

ROCHESTER’S RESTAURANT DEPOT TEAMS WITH UPSTATE CHARITY BLUEPRINT TO BATTLE HUNGER

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s the weather warms up and vaccines continue to roll out, spirits are higher than ever. It remains important though, to stay cognizant of members of local communities that are still struggling, with food insecurity issues.

It’s times like these when the industry needs to come together to support its neighbors and thankfully, Rochester’s (NY)Restaurant Depot has teamed up with charity BluePrint of Geneva, NY to do just that.

The nonprofit organization BluePrint/Geneva, founded in 2016, has been working nonstop to support their local community, with work in housing insecurity, food drives, tax preparation, composting, and more.

“The goal for each of these boxes is for the recipients to be able to support their families for a substantial amount of time without having to make compromises when it comes to health or money.” — Burt Diferio “When BluePrint asked me last year if I’d be interested in creating a program to provide meals for the people in our community, it was a no brainer,” said upstate chef and now BluePrint board member Samantha Buyskes. “It was such an incredible opportunity to give back to the same community that’s given me so much.” Now, Buyskes and BluePrint are taking it one step further with the help of the restaurant industry’s

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cash & carry icon Restaurant Depot to battle food insecurity.

During the month of April, Restaurant Depot/Rochester and BluePrint have collaborated to provide 75 comprehensive boxed grocery donations as a complete surprise to families in the Geneva, NY community.

Buyskes is no stranger to helping those in need. As a chef in the Finger Lakes region for over twenty

years, she’s worked nonstop to combat food insecurity. “I’ve always had a passion for giving back in a constructive way, and my work in myriad organizations, charities, dinners, and drives has allowed me to do just that. On an even greater note, my role as a Chef allows me to dictate exactly what those in need will be receiving. This means not only do we provide food, we provide nutritious items that would normally be very expensive or scarce. Many hungry families need to resort to unhealthy products or fast food due to monetary constraints, so our aim is to minimize this as best we can.”

“We’re incredibly excited to work with Samantha on this Saturday

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

REOPENING STRATEGIES

WITH LAURA CRAVEN

BUILDING A NETWORK TO ENSURE A SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE REOPENING STRATEGY

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t dawned on me as we begin to emerge from the chaos of the pandemic, that an important factor in finding your new normal is based on your relationships, old and new. From your back of the house and dining room teams to your vendors, the financial stress that can be created the question is how can we help each by third party delivery fees, we underother? stand how important it is that we shop For us at Imperial Dade, we also the national marketplace to find packlook at the collaborative agenda that aging value for our customer base in we have built with key trade assoMetro New York and across the nation. ciations to help guide our customers In addition to packaging decisions back into the new normal. With that that affect the quality of your take-out in mind, I reached out to Andrew Rigie and delivery food, restaurants also of the New York City Hospitality Allineed to make other changes with the ance to get his thoughts on where we return of indoor dining. During my are headed as an industry and how to conversation with Andrew, we disget there. cussed how for a long time New York Through his role as the Executive City has a had very strict and clear, Director at the NYC Hospitality Alquality and sanitary standards for the liance, Andrew has had a first-hand kitchen/back of the house. Through look at how the restaurant and hosthe use of their letter grade system pitality industries have been forced and a punitive view on any cleanliness to adapt their approaches during or sanitary violations, New York resthe past year. In talking with Andrew about his Alliance members, it is clear to us that takeout and delivery will never be looked at the same way again.

What might have been an okay pre-pandemic solution like an inexpensive foil round tin, simply won’t cut it anymore.

As we chatted, it became apparent that in many cases, the new definition of hospitality in New York City includes both the aesthetics of the packaging and its impact on the freshness and crispness of the food that has come to represent your brand over the past year. Soggy french fries and a cold burger send the wrong message as you get ready (L to R) Imperial Dade’s Laura Craven and Howard Hirsch attend a NYC Hospitality Alliance Summer to welcome back many of these Membership Party in 2018 folks. As Andrew emphasized

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In talking with Andrew [Rigie] about his Alliance members, it is clear to us that takeout and delivery will never be looked at the same way again. taurants have been held to high standards. Now, due to the pandemic that emphasis on a sanitary environment needs to be replicated in the front of the house. With that comes the need to educate restaurant owners and staff on how proper cleaning and disinfecting impact the health and safety of anyone inside their establishment.

What we have tried to impress upon our customers at Imperial Dade, is just how vital it is that your entire team understands the products and procedures used in cleaning for health. It is not complicated, but it is not intuitive.

Overuse or incorrect use of chemicals will have negative effects on people and the environment. There is a need for education and awareness, and we are working with the New York City Hospitality Alliance to share this information with all their members. We are here to help.

Among the most important observations that Andrew made is that we are in fact all in this together. We talked about the countless cases in which restaurateurs and their vendors have partnered for the greater good.

For some, it involved closing their restaurants and feeding front line workers and those less fortunate in their time of need.

At Imperial Dade, we agree that by collaborating with fellow industry professionals including the New York City Hospitality Alliance, we are poised for great days ahead. As we begin to see

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

Laura oversees marketing and corporate communications for Imperial Dade, a national distribution company headquartered in Jersey City, NJ. Her responsibilities include marketing communications, brand and reputation management, internal and external communications, experiential marketing events, and media relations. Laura has been with the company for over 16 years and has contributed to the organization’s growth and brand awareness. A LEED AP, Laura consults on sustainability initiatives and as a GBAC Trained Technician she assists customers develop cleaning programs.

the light at the end of tunnel, we as an industry need to come together and make decisions that are not only beneficial to our bottom lines and customers, but also to our environment.

Careful selection of packaging and other foodservice supplies along with the prudent use of cleaning chemicals and disinfectants will have a positive impact on the environment, which includes human beings.

With the Restaurant Revitalization grant funding imminent, it is a great time for all of us to reset. So don’t forget to reach out to your local associations and ask how you can become part of the solution.

The

Kitchen

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

PROVISIONS PREVIEWED

WITH LMT PROVISIONS

SOURCING SUSTAINABLY: A PEEK INSIDE FOODLINK’S NEW COMMUNITY CAFÉ

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he first ever Foodlink Community Café is set to open this month with equipment donated and supplied by Singer Equipment Company.

To help a community that needs it now more than ever, Foodlink will be offering a curated menu of soups, salads and sandwiches in a pay-as-youcan model. After all, the pandemic has left New Yorkers, especially children, hungrier than ever, with less access to

soup kitchens and other government subsidized meal plans provided in institutions like public schools.

Foodlink’s mission to feed those in need is rooted deeply in its local community. The new café will employ members of its fellowship to serve guests and even source produce from their community garden.

Singer Equipment Company donated the equipment for Foodlink’s new café in partnership with Wegmans,

The Singer delivery team unloads equipment donated for the new Foodlink Community Café.

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one of the nonprofit organization’s top donors.

“Singer did such an amazing thing for us. They’re a great partner and understand the work we’re doing,” says Terra Keller, Chief Operating Officer for Foodlink. “To build a relationship where the first interaction is a very large donation that’s making this pilot so possible for us is pretty unheard of. To go from one conversation to the final delivery of our soup kettle, sandwich station, refrigeration and bakery displays is incredible.”

The Federal Industries bakery display was indeed a crucial piece for this specification. With sleek glass windows and staggered shelving, Foodlink will be merchandising its menu and its mission to its guests.

“All of the pieces of equipment we received are really important but during COVID, we wanted to be able to safely display everything that we’re producing,” says Keller.

“We also wanted to promote Foodlink and the fellowship.”

By tapping into Singer’s carefully cataloged portfolio of warehouse equipment, their team was able to save important dollars on its opening—and keep that dollar local.

“We’re going into this really conservatively,” says Keller.

Sarah Bulmer is the Marketing Manager for Singer Equipment Company, supporting strategic communication with Singer’s diverse range of hospitality clients and manufacturer partners. She studied Journalism & Mass Communications with a focus in food writing at the University of Iowa. Sarah is based in Brooklyn, New York and can be reached at sbulmer@singerequipment. com.

“It gives us even playing ground to hopefully build a successful long-term model for this program that benefits a lot of the people in the city of Rochester and the surrounding area.”

Mark Woolcock, Executive Vice President at Singer Equipment Company, orchestrated the donation.

“It’s always a good feeling when you get to stop and help others. Working with Foodlink was an amazing experience,” says Woolcock.

Woolcock specified a selection of powerhouse equipment from Singer’s robust inventory. With approximately half a million square feet of warehouse space, Foodlink was able to source high quality equipment and build the café of their dreams, giving their mission the momentum needed, not just to get started, but to sustain their operation.

Our team of equipment specialists is trained to specify products that meet clients’ needs, while also supporting a more sustainable supply chain. When unused equipment is returned for minor exterior blemishes, cosmetic damage or simply because it did not fit a specific operator’s needs, our inventory team catalogs the product, stores it safely and keeps it top of mind for future projects. To learn more about equipment inventory ready to ship from Singer Equipment Company, contact us today at marketing@singerequipment.com.

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Enhance your menu by creating a deluxe Caprese salad with spooned sections of Burrata beside ripe tomatoes and fresh basil, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Or enrich your pizza or pasta by topping with a garnish of this fresh, creamy cheese just before serving.

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

FIORITO ON INSURANCE

2021 HURRICANE SEASON PREPAREDNESS FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

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rom flood waters, property damage, power loss and spoiled food, coping with the aftermath of a powerful storm could be very troublesome for restaurant owners. Therefore, during the Atlantic Hurricane season, which officially runs from June through November 30, hospitality business owners and managers must take a multipronged approach to safety. First, crisis communications, management and business continuity planning and then back up efforts with the proper insurance coverage.

2020 set a new record with 22 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters1. After the record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season last year, it appears likely that 2021 is in for the sixth consecutive above-average year.

First predictions have been released, and the message is straightforward: the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which officially goes into effect in June and runs through November, will be dangerous and very active. With a quite concerning notice that also an above-average probability of hurricane landfalls along the US coastline2.

While restaurants, hotels and other businesses in the hospitality industry have no control over the weather, taking the proper steps before a hurricane can lessen the impact. Generally speaking, the three main goals of any disaster management plan are to manage the business during the crisis, resume normal operations as quickly as possible, and recover losses when it is over. By taking these goals into ac-

Robert Fiorito serves as Vice President with HUB International Northeast, a leading global insurance brokerage, where he specializes in providing insurance services to the restaurant industry. As a 25+ year veteran and former restaurateur himself, Robert has worked with a wide array of restaurant and food service businesses, ranging from fast-food chains to upscale, “white tablecloth” dining establishments. Robert can be reached at 212-338-2324 or by email at robert.fiorito@ hubinternational.com.

ness be down for a week, a day or a month? Review your business assets and make sure the operations that are most critical have built-in redundancy or are covered by insurance.

First predictions have been released, and the message is straightforward: the 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which officially goes into effect in June and runs through November, will be dangerous and very active. count when surveying the most critical areas of the business, companies can determine what steps they need to take to be fully prepared for hurricane season and beyond.

As mentioned above, having a crisis communications, management and business continuity plan in place will help ensure employee stability in the workplace. Pre-determined employee notification channels will be critical to disseminating information should

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the need arise. Business owners and managers should have employee contact information at their fingertips, while also establishing a toll-free hotline number or social media site that can facilitate communication during a storm.

Similarly, understanding individual risk is key to necessary business continuity planning. Try isolating the business risk first. Is it wind, power outage or hurricane damage? Will your busi-

Coverage for When it Strikes Losses are not always completely avoidable. Even businesses with the proper plans in place can suffer a setback from a storm. Unfortunately, according to the Munich Re NatCatService, as little as 28% of the $5,200 billion economic losses from Natural Catastrophes were insured over the period 1980-2019, due to gaps in coverage for a multitude of reasons3.

It’s important to examine your insurance policies (and any potential gaps in coverage) in advance with your professional advisor as there are a variety of policies to help coastal and non-coastal businesses recover from an event – each involving a different aspect of the restoration. It’s important to realize that all businesses in hurricane zones are at risk no matter where they are located.

• Business income coverage. Review your business income coverage limits, which include loss of income as a result of an event, to ensure they are sufficient. Extra expense coverage

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

LEGAL INSIDER

FROM ELLENOFF GROSSMAN & SCHOLE LLP

OSHA ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE REGARDING RECORDKEEPING OF ADVERSE EMPLOYEE REACTIONS TO COVID-19 VACCINES

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ince the start of the pandemic in February 2020, 14,427 COVID-19-related complaints have been filed with the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) and 49,483 complaints have been filed with similar state agencies that also enforce health and safety regulations. Ranked by industry, restaurants received the third highest number of complaints, after healthcare and retail, despite being closed for a substantial period of time during the pandemic. As of December 31, 2020, OSHA announced that it had issued citations and assessed penalties in the total amount of $3,930,381 for COVID-19 violations, such as failure to provide training on the proper use of personal protective

equipment, failure to report an injury, illness and fatality and failure to record an injury or illness on OSHA recordkeeping forms. As of January 2021 OSHA penalties have increased to $13,653 per violation which can be assessed daily if unabated. OSHA can also penalize restaurants in the amount of $136,532 for willful and repeated violations. Unfortunately, OSHA recently added guidance that directly affects the hospitality industry and which restaurants are urged to comply with to avoid costly consequences, both financially and to their reputation.

On April 20, 2021, OSHA issued new guidelines mandating that employers who require their employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine for work-related reasons record any

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adverse reactions on an OSHA 300 log, which is a form for employers to record all injuries and illnesses that occur in the workplace. An adverse reaction to the vaccine must be recorded if: 1. The employee had not previously experienced COVID-19 symptoms affecting the same body part, or, had previously recovered completely from COVID-19 and the vaccine caused the symptoms to reappear; and 2. The employee sought medical treatment (other than first aid), or, was absent from work for one or more days after the illness began.

The employer must record the date when the illness occurred, the nature of the illness, and the name of the affected employee. OSHA 300 logs should be maintained by the business for five years. Failure to maintain and present the log can result in a fine of up to $8,000 for each year of a violation.

If an employer merely recommends, but does not mandate that its employees be vaccinated and there are no consequences for refusing vaccination, the recordkeeping requirements do not apply, even if the employer makes arrangements for the employees to receive the vaccine offsite or makes the vaccine available at work. However, employers will be responsible for recording general cases of COVID-19 (not related to adverse reactions to the vac-

Lois Traub, Esq. is of Counsel in the Labor & Employment practice group of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP. Lois advises clients in the hospitality industry on all aspects of labor and employment law, including OSHA compliance. Ms. Traub has represented employers in labor arbitrations, negotiated and drafted labor contracts, employment and separation agreements, and personnel policies and advised clients on state and federal labor law compliance. Lois Traub can be reached at LTraub@egsllp.com or via phone at 212-370-1300.

cine), on OSHA 300 logs, if all of the following are true: 1. The case is a confirmed case of COVID-19; and 2. The case is work-related (in that it arises from events or exposures in the work environment); and 3. The worker sought medical treatment and/or leave from work as a result.

All OSHA COVID-19 guidelines are also still in effect whether or not employees have been vaccinated. Staff and customers must continue to wear face coverings, the restaurant must follow social distancing requirements for table placement, and takeout lines, PPE should be readily accessible and employees should be trained on correct usage, touchless

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

NEWS

By Claudia Giunta

BRAND BUILDING

CHICAGO BASED FOODMIX LOOKS INTO CRYSTAL BALL AS NEW NORMAL APPROACHES

E

stablishing a business as a brand requires creative marketing strategies that engage customers and inspire future growth as the needs of the consumer evolve. The visionary behind Foodmix Marketing Communications considers how the culture of a brand is cultivated in smaller environments.

Through actively engaging with the growing needs and interests of consumers, Foodmix works with companies in effectively executing the message and product love behind the unique brands it represents.

Dan O’Connell started Foodmix in 2000 after regenerating the idea of what an agency should look like for foodservice businesses that emphasize creating strong relationships with its clients. The food branding agency has since developed B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) advertising campaigns for some of the larg-

est food brands in the world. “The collaboration across all parts of the agency is a big part of the company and something our clients truly value,” said president Sara Hagen.

Through research and creative brand strategy, Foodmix works closely with its clients in establishing how to best communicate with their customers. Foodmix helps businesses find the authentic and natural story behind their brand. “The story helps create demand with the consumers.

If customers engage with the product through creative advertising or product demonstrations, this helps brands to come to life in a new way.”

As the needs of its client base have evolved not only through the challenges of a pandemic but with a growth in technology as well, Foodmix works closely with its clients to generate smart marketing approaches. “The roots of our agency are in helping clients come up with a channel strat-

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

“If we celebrate the foodservice industry and support one another, brands gain exposure and customers will want to support businesses that have a reputation for being compassionate.” — Sara Hagen egy. The consumer drives the dollar so helping foodservice operators adopt this mentality is key,” noted Hagen.

With advertising quickly moving to digital platforms, Foodmix recognizes that taking advantage of experiential marketing through video marketing and social media platforms helps creatively establish a brand identity. “We want to look at all marketing mediums to create a memorable brand and product love that grasps the attention of customers.”

It’s no secret that the foodservice industry has had to turn to takeout and delivery services this past year.

Foodmix has helped its clients pivot, survive, and flourish with this heightened desire for eating foods from the restaurants we love in our homes. “We adapted an empathetic approach because we are all in this together. There are tools in place to help foodservice operators survive, and working as a team to support one another has been important throughout the pandemic.” By teaching its clients about the necessary tools, tips, and laborsaving trends, Foodmix has been able to help its client base supports their restaurant customers that struggled to find a survival strategy at the start of the pandemic. Additionally, the agency supported local businesses by providing takeout to its employees. “If we celebrate the foodservice industry and support one another, brands gain

exposure and customers will want to support businesses that have a reputation for being compassionate.”

As restaurants prepare to welcome back guests through indoor dining, Hagen offers insight into how business trends that were adopted throughout the pandemic will continue to be beneficial. “I think we, as a society, have recognized how much we love to do things from home-- whether that be working or eating. As the kinks of takeout have been gradually smoothed over, I can see small dinner parties taking advantage of catering and takeout services to create a comfortable ambiance in a home setting. Chefs have also learned how to creatively interact with their clients through cooking videos and I hope that will stay around as well.”

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund will soon offer grants to eligible businesses and help them successfully develop long-term sales growth. Foodmix’s advice is to intelligently utilize these funds by considering how longterm goals should satisfy the needs of the consumer.

“No brand is too small to need the services of an agency. You want a strong culture behind the business, and that starts with the brand foundation which drives effective growth.”

Align with the right partner and visit foodmix.net for more info.

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

CULINARY AND HOSPITALITY EDUCATION & CAREERS

WITH JOYCE APPELMAN

CULINARY APPRENTICESHIPS RETURN AFTER COVID-19

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ichard Grausman, educator, author and founder of C-CAP (Careers through Culinary Arts Program) has been involved and an advocate for culinary apprenticeship, education and training for the past 52 years. He takes a stab at forecasting what is to come in the wake of COVID-19, but first a few observations from over the years that might be of interest.

“There are many colleges around the country, with culinary programs, but there are thousands of students graduating high school who are either not interested or ready to attend college. For them and the industry, a new form of culinary apprenticeship might be the best way to train new workers.” chefs over for lunch or dinner and I was lucky at times to be able to join them.

Much of the conversation was centered around some of the things they were doing to counter the problem of getting young workers. Most of them had gotten their training as an apprentice (and those interested should read Jacques Pepin’s book The Apprentice) and had worked in

large hotels with massive kitchens and staffs. Recently, however, the When I started my studies in Paris young French boys who might have in 1968, I was fortunate to meet and chosen the culinary profession in become friends with Michael Oliver, the past were now choosing to take chef/owner of Bistro de Paris. He factory jobs which had better hours was also the son of Raymond Oliver, and pay. Hence, the chefs weren’t the chef/owner of Le Grand Véfour able to hire enough staff and no one and perhaps the most famous chef wanted to work the long hours they in France at the time. They both enhad become used to. tertained in their restaurants, and Because of this problem, they Michael often invited other young were all finding ways to do things faster and with less prep time. Over the next few years, with the help of food critics Henri Gault and Christian Millau of the restaurant guide Gault et Millau, these chefs became famous for their Nouvelle Cuisine.

Many of their techniques are still used today, but something else happened at that time: Up until Paul Bocuse put his name on his restaurant, most res(L-R) Chef Marcus Samuelsson, Chef José Andrés, C-CAP Founder Richard Grausman, Chef Carla Hall, taurants were not (Photo Credit_Michael McCarthy) 22 • May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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

chef- driven. Diners rarely ever got to see or meet the chef. “My compliments to the chef” was a common expression used to let the chef know you appreciated his food, but it was usually given to the owner of the restaurant as you departed. Gault et Millau was making the restaurant chef known and famous!

Within the next ten years, things changed. As a result of the success of the “Celebrity Chefs,” young people were again attracted to the kitchen and the Japanese government started paying the French government to cover the salaries and insurance for their young chefs to work in the top French restaurants.

While teaching for Le Cordon Bleu, I would return to France each year to sign a new contract and visit my favorite restaurants as well as hot new ones. Each year, I noticed the increase in their staffs. By the late 70s and early 80s, the kitchens were crowded with young chefs all trying to learn from the masters. By this time the simple Nouvelle Cuisine food was becoming more elaborate. Plates were filling up with more items and desserts were made by well-trained pastry chefs, which

continued on page 96

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LEARN MORE AHAEXCELLENCE.COM May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 23

NEWS

REAL ESTATE

CROWN SHY DUO SET PLANS TO REVITALIZE DEL POSTO’S FORMER MANHATTAN SPACE

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n the heels of the success they maintained through the challenge of the Pandemic, the owners of Crown Shy in the Financial District have announced plans to take over the recently shuttered Del Posto.

Jeff Katz and James Kent have teamed with chef Melissa Rodriguez to purchase the space in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood from B & B Hospitality Group, with plans to fill it with three new concepts this

fall.

In addition to their collaboration at Crown Shy, Jeff Katz, who was Del Posto’s longtime GM, and Chef James Kent built an extensive following at Eleven Madison Park.

Since debuting in 2005, Del Posto had been known as one of the top Italian restaurants in the country.

Rodriguez was named executive chef in 2017, further cementing the restaurant’s reputation during her tenure. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, one

A glimpse of the interior of the now-shuttered Del Posto

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

Jeff Katz and James Kent have teamed with Chef Melissa Rodriguez to purchase the space in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood from B & B Hospitality Group, with plans to fill it with three new concepts this fall. of Melissa Rodriguez’s first jobs was cooking under chef Cornelius Gallagher at Oceana. She then worked her way up to the position of sous chef at Daniel. In 2011, Rodriguez joined the team at Del Posto, working her way up to chef de cuisine in 2015, and then executive chef in February 2017 after Mark Ladner left to work on his fast-casual concept, Pasta Flyer.

Though the closure just became official, Del Posto stopped service in the spring of 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic before auctioning off its 40,000-bottle wine collection at Chicago’s Hart Davis Hart Wine Co. However, before any new restaurant gets designed within the property, “every-

thing must go” from the Del Posto dining room. The new owners of the Chelsea property are selling off Del Posto’s front-of-house furniture, fixtures, decor, and you can make bids for items either online at BestBuyAuctioneers.Hibid.Com or inperson at the restaurant for a “true auction experience.”

In 2010, Del Posto earned a rare four-star review from the New York Times, however in recent years, its former ownership, the Bastianich family’s B&B Hospitality Group, has been repeatedly accused of fostering a toxic workplace. Additionally, former co-owner and celebrity chef Mario Batali removed himself from ownership in 2019 after being accused of sexual assault and harassment by at least 18 women. Del Posto never reopened after closing its doors during the coronavirus citywide shut down last March.

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

MEDITERRANEAN MENU TRENDS

WITH CHEF MARIA LOI

GREEK FETA: THE FOOD OF THE GODS, NOW ON YOUR TABLE

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reek Feta cheese is said to have been a food of the Gods. Homer’s poems tell of how the Cyclops, Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon – the God of the Sea – made cheese some 3,000 years ago almost by accident after noticing that the milk he collected from sheep and stored in the ‘askos’ (bags made of animal skin) had ripened within days into a delectable, new form. Though this story is part of Greek mythology, the fact is - Feta has stood the test of time for thousands of years.

This soft, creamy, tangy cheese was a key ingredient in the diet of ancient Greeks’ and today it remains a critical component of the healthy, modern, delicious Mediterranean diet too.

But not all Feta is created equal.

Not by a long shot. As a proud Greek, I know good Greek Feta the moment I taste it and it won’t take long for you to do the same. Here’s what you need to know about Feta cheese, why it’s the best, how to ensure you’re getting the real deal - and why you should never, ever consider buying anything else.

What makes Feta cheese Greek?

Feta cheese is Greek. That’s not just something I’m claiming as a proud

Greek; The European Commission actually declared it so in 2002 when it gave Greek Feta the Protected Designation of Origin or PDO. The PDO designation honors the fact that certain traditional food products come from specific places in the world and that they are created, prepared and produced in accordance with strict quality and safety guidelines.

In the case of Greek Feta, the PDO designation ensures that the cheese is not made from powdered milk or cow’s milk, and does not contain

colorants, preservatives or antibiotics. These high standards guarantee a purity that you will taste in every delicious bite.

Where does Greek Feta come from?

The PDO designation means a particular product comes from a specific geographical location in the world.

Greek Feta comes from the milk of sheep and goats that graze freely in several different regions of Greece including Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, Thessaly, Peloponnese, Mainland

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

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

Greece, and Lesvos.

The milk is first pasteurized and then it goes through a traditional process of curding, straining and salting, before being placed in wooden barrels or metal tins to age in brine (a mixture of salt and water) for at least two months and sometimes up to a year.

It is this aging process that allows Feta cheese to develop its unique character, flavor, and aroma - and this is how my mother taught my siblings and me how to make our family’s Feta growing up - only without the pasteurization.

Once you and your customers taste the real Greek Feta – much like other PDO products – Champagne from France or Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy – you’ll understand nothing else compares. You will notice subtle differences in Greek Feta depending on the region it comes from. That’s because there’s different flora (flowers and plants) that sheep and goats graze on which can affect both the taste and consistency of the Feta. I’ve traveled all over Greece and tried Feta in every region where it’s made. In Thessaly, for example, the grassy notes in the

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

MEDIA CORNER

With Joyce Appelman

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

BLACK SMOKE

By Adrian Miller Adrian Miller’s vivid, precise history of barbecue in the US stretches back to the days before Europeans set foot in North America and reaches the present day, admitting all the way that “defining barbecue, locally and globally, is highly dependent on time, place, class, race, and a fair amount of mythmaking.”

The roll of Black cooks and pit masters has been fundamental to American barbecue practice and tradition. But for several decades their contributions to this distinctive form of cooking has been, as Miller put it, “B-roll footage” in barbecue media. They might be seen doing the work but they were not credited with expertise.

As Miller addresses this imbal-

ance, he clarifies the cultural importance of barbecue through the stories of past and current practitioners of the craft, from the enslaved Arkansas woman who earned enough from barbecue to purchase her freedom, to Henry Perry, credited with establishing the Kansas City style of barbecue. Telling the history of the US through cooks and food, he writes with clarity, insight, and scope.

VEGETABLE SIMPLE

By Eric Ripert When one of the great culinary imaginations turns to daily, vegetable-centric fare, you can expect wonderful things. Here, Eric Ripert, the acclaimed chef of New York’s Michelin 3-star Le Bernardin, offers more than 100 recipes that focus on simple execution without sacrificing great flavor.

Start a party by serving popcorn dusted with yuzu-citrus salt and spicy plantain chips. Learn to make a fresh pea soup for spring and a

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

BOOKS, TV, FILM, AND PODCASTS

WHAT WE’RE READING: butternut squash, ginger and turmeric soup for fall. Summer’s a great time to be playful with watermelon “pizza,” and a rutabaga gratin is the comfort food you need to take the edge of a cold winter night.

Each recipe is accompanied by a full-page photograph revealing how to make the most of the simple elegance of this food.

THE CON: WINE Explore the troubling tale of people taken in by claims and promises that proved to good to be true. The show reveals how the victims were fooled and the cost of their false trust both emotionally and financially. The show features interviews with key people, including victims and eyewitnesses.

Season 1, Episode 7 features the Wine Con. “I Scam people and drink their wine. How did this wine collector have some of the world’s best, most expensive wines?”

WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO: Tune it to find out how he did it. https://abc.com/shows/the-con DINNER IMPOSSIBLE, SEASON 9 New episodes of the fan-favorite Dinner: Impossible with Robert Irvine are now airing on Food Network. Irvine and his team of souschefs race against the clock as they are challenged with obstacles and conditions that push them to their limits, all the while preparing and serving delicious meals to groups of guests. Through four, hour-long episodes, the team hits the majestic island of Oahu, Hawaii, the streets of Sin City, and an abandoned mining town in Cerro Gordo, California, where Irvine attempts to prove that dinner is possible.

In one episode in Hawaii, Irvine is tasked to make a five-star dinner with a mobile army field kitchen and meal rations for soldiers of the historic 25th Infantry Division to celebrate their 79th anniversary.

Tune in to Food Network or the Discovery App to watch Dinner: Impossible Season 9.

THE SPLENDID TABLE Award-winning food writer Francis Lam hosts the show that celebrates culinary, culture and lifestyle, hosting our nation’s conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.

The Splendid Table began as a live, Saturday-morning call-in show on Minnesota Public Radio in 1994 hosted by acclaimed food writer and cooking teacher Lynne Rossetto Kasper after receiving accolades for her debut book, The Splendid Table, which at that time was the only book to have won both the James Beard and Julia Child Cookbook of the Year awards. The show has been at the forefront of food issues and policies since its inception.

Long before eating local became a

level. Lynne had to make sure to define such terms as “organic” and “sustainable” for listeners. Today those terms have become part of the everyday lexicon, and people’s hunger for wholesome food and the rituals surrounding it has only increased.

Listen on public radio throughout the U.S., SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, iHeart Radio, RSS, Stitcher, Spotify, and TuneIn.

catchphrase and farmers’ markets became ubiquitous, The Splendid Table was talking about the changes needed in the food system and what was happening on the grassroots

offering helpful advice for both beginners and seasoned cooks. It’s a practical guide for weeknight eating. Follow along and get more recipes at weeknightkitchen.org.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, RSS, Stitcher and Spotify.

WEEKNIGHT KITCHEN WITH MELISSA CLARK Cookbook author and New York Times food columnist Melissa Clark takes on one of the biggest dilemmas of busy people: what are we going to eat?

In each episode, you’ll join in her kitchen, working through one of her favorite recipes and

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

NEWSMAKER

CHRISTY REUTER, PARTNER & CHAIR, HOTELS & RESTAURANTS PRACTICE, MEISTER SEELIG & FEIN LLP

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ith the Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant application portal getting ready to open, Total Food Service has sought out the advice of some of the marketplace’s leading experts.

With New York City and the nation’s hotels severely challenged, we knew that Christy Reuter, the chair of Meister Seelig & Fein‘s Hotels & Restaurants practice. could give our readers her read on what lies ahead.

Ms. Reuter specializes in domestic and global hospitality transactions and represents hospitality comChristy Reuter, Partner & Chair, Hotel & Hospitality, MSF panies seeking to expand within the United States shareholder agreements, license and and in countries around the management agreements and comworld. She has negotiated deals in citmercial leasing. Ms. Reuter also reguies throughout the United States and larly assists clients with review of emin various countries and cities, includployment agreements, non-disclosure ing Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Japan, Turkey, agreements and vendor and contracMonaco, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, tor agreements. and Hong Kong.

Ms. Reuter is the former General Ms. Reuter provides strategic legal Counsel for the internationally acand business counsel to clients at evclaimed hospitality group Cipriani, ery stage of a transaction. She regularwhich she still represents. ly guides clients through the material business and legal issues in complex What attracted you to practicing law? corporate transactions including joint What a great question and I will venture negotiations, operating or

give you the short answer.

Everybody in my family used to say: this kid needs to be a lawyer because she never takes no for an answer. I grew up on Long Island in Lake Grove and I can tell you honestly since I was 11 years old I knew I would be an attorney.

How about your interest in hospitality?

One of those crazy stories, where I was on the other side of the desk and in what could only be described as a beautiful accident, hospitality found me. I was in private practice and involved with a case that went to the New York Court of Appeals. The case dealt with how defining whether a service charge at the banquet contract is a gratuity for the workers who were independent contractors. It dawned on me very early, just how complex labor law is for restaurants, and how challenging it is for owners to keep up with the regulations.

From your start in New York, you have built a very far-reaching knowledge base of the intricacies of the law across the globe.

In working as general counsel, you have several things that you need to

“To start the process, I think the place to begin is to get your personal finance house in order. If you have been lending money to your business in the ordinary course to stay afloat, you need to have a promissory note or other form of loan document prepared by an accountant or attorney. That will enable you to pay yourself back from the RRF fund that you receive.”

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

deal with. I had to start learning about loan documents and corporate structure. That’s really where I built the foundation of expertise for licensing and management agreements. One day I was working on a deal in Abu Dhabi and the next day Mexico. In the US, a deal has a different look in every state with respect to local laws. The key is to find local counsel who becomes your partner, that understands the lay of the land. It’s interesting and often overlooked that a restaurant like Zuma that I represent might have the same tables and chairs and the same menu from country to country but the legal work behind the scenes to make that happen couldn’t be more different.

What attracted you to the Meister Seelig & Fein opportunity?

I was actually happily practicing on my own, but I kept running into Stephen Meister while negotiating a hotel acquisition. He suggested lunch with the MSF team, and as I sat there, it dawned on me that we all spoke the same language. We looked at the practice of law through the same lens.

What impact did the Pandemic have on your practice?

Last March, I had 10 plus deals sitting in front of me in various locations. When everything closed, we literally went into 24/7 coaching mode.

I worked around the clock on everything from renegotiating leases for my restaurant clients to interpreting the daily changes in legislation that impacted how they could operate. I spent nearly 70% of my time on the lease work. I must say that most landlords “got it”. They understood the severity of the situation.

continued on page 102

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

Q&A

EXCLUSIVE FOODSERVICE INTERVIEW

Ronald van Bakergem President, IRINOX North America

Ronald van Bakergem, President, IRINOX North America

O

n the scene for more than three decades, IRINOX has become the ideal partner for thousands of industrial food manufacturers and commercial kitchen operations all over the globe for their gastronomy, bakery, pastry, and ice cream sectors.

Five years ago, Ronald van Bakergem added to his strong resume the title of president for IRINOX North America Inc. It is the U.S. subsidiary of IRINOX SpA, a leading European industrial manufacturer that specializes in the production and sales of high-performance level commercial blast chillers and shock freezers.

While at the helm of the company,

van Bakergem has increased sales by more than 200 percent, relocated the company headquarters to Miami, and expanded into new markets to rapidly grow the business. As an industry leader, he is continuing to educate others about better ways to preserve the consistency of fresh product by developing new relationships and programs with the foodservice dealer network and culinary institutions.

You have an interesting background prior to joining IRINOX. Please share your background with our readers.

For the last 15 years of my career, I’ve been able to successfully re-configure the “go-to-market” strategies

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

for other medium-sized international manufacturers. I have been primarily specializing in the Chemical, Food, and Beverage sectors, engaging an important range of distribution partners, including multinational corporations and regional wholesalers. These efforts were strongly supported by the appointment of highly experienced regional sales representatives, which helped to almost triple their export revenue year over year, making their export areas stronger and healthier with the opening of several key markets in North America and Latin America at the same time.

your career?

I attribute my professional accomplishments, for the most part, to my father, who spent the last 30 years of his career serving as Chief Executive Officer for numerous global organizations. He enthusiastically coached me through every single one of my past career paths. From him I learned the great joy of exploring new cultures, conducting research, determining how to get things done, and mentoring people as much as possible. I also saw the great benefits of belonging to a vibrant international community.

Are there any mentors who shaped

continued on page 34

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Q&A

RONALD VAN BAKERGEM, from page 32

For those people who do not know about the product line, what is blast chilling all about?

A blast chiller quickly reduces the product’s core temperature through “the temperature danger zone” (140°F to 41°F) in order to stunt the development of bacteria. This process naturally extends the product’s shelf life and traps in the flavor, aroma, color, and nutritional value, and maintains the product’s texture by trapping in the natural moisture and reduces carryover cooking.

Can you please share the background of IRINOX with our readers?

IRINOX is a privately held company, founded in Italy in 1989, and established in the U.S. for more than three decades already. The company is known all over the industry as the “blast chiller and shock freezer specialist.” Over the years, IRINOX has developed a leading-edge line of refrigeration products, and proposed revolutionary concepts that have set market benchmarks in almost every major industry sector. Our technology offers the capability to blast chill, shock freeze, low temperature cook, proof, thaw, hold (hot and cold), regenerate and pasteurize. This technology provides product consistency and reduces product loss, which ensures utmost efficiency at work and is truly an indispensable tool in today’s industrial kitchen.

IRINOX currently operates in one of the most innovative manufacturing facilities in Italy, with a total production capacity of 20,000+ blast chillers per year. The company employs

more than 300 staff members globally.

Our company has mastered the art of collaboration between chefs and engineering for years. Chefs are the inspiration behind every cycle and capability IRINOX offers. This company was essentially born from an idea and has grown into the world’s largest manufacturer of blast chillers, shock freezers, and holding cabinets. More than 80,000 units are installed in 90 different markets around the world. To date IRINOX is the only company that focuses primarily on blast chilling and shock freezing, has an international chef network, and continues to do the research involving this technology.

When did the line come to the U.S.?

IRINOX made its first debut in North Easton, MA around 1994 and was represented by former industry Icon, Ira Kaplan, who had been leading another well-known manufacturing company, Servolift Eastern, advancing as president of IRINOX USA later in 2006, the first official US subsidiary of our parent company IRINOX SpA. We are now currently headquartered in Miami, FL. What was the opportunity that you saw in the U.S.?

Rapid chilling and rapid freezing have become enormously important in the modern industrial kitchen world over the last few years. Cases of salmonella and food poisoning, which are still occurring regularly as you know, are increasing the demand for safer and more efficient food handling procedures in almost every market segment. When I first got introduced to the concepts of IRINOX’s technol-

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®

IRINOX MultiFresh® is the first and only machine in the world that can run operating cycles with temperatures of +185°F to -40°F. By pressing a button you can blast chill, shock freeze, proof, thaw, regenerate, pasteurize and cook at low temperature.

ogy, I had never been so impressed with this unit’s performance and endless product configuration options.

More importantly, I realized that in the U.S., for those who follow HACCP guidelines, we chill to 70ºF in two hours, and then below 41ºF in another 4 hours or less, which truly raises a lot of serious questions, especially when we all know that bacteria doubles every 15 minutes when food temperatures hover between 140ºF and 41ºF, also known as the famous “temperature danger zone.” By comparing the six hours U.S. standard of chilling to the European standard of 90 minutes, one can see that as an operational person, I would choose the European standard, as labor time is a critical component in all of our operations.

It quickly became obvious to me that IRINOX’s blast chillers were going to be key in helping American kitchens

work smarter and boost profits.

Describe the flexibility from Catering to Gelato.

Our IRINOX MultiFresh® unit comes pre-programmed with 122 chef-inspired cycles, as well as the option to build a library of custom cycles that can be adapted to specific dishes.

The flexibility and reliability of IRINOX’s MultiFresh® unit is one of the big reasons our blast chiller/shock freezer stands out in today’s market.

It is the only blast chiller able to operate within a temperature range of +185°F down to -40°F, giving operators a wealth of possibilities on how to use the equipment. Restaurants can low temperature cook a roast or chicken breast, then set the unit to automatically chill, freeze, or hot hold. They

continued on page 36

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

Q&A

RONALD VAN BAKERGEM, from page 34

can thaw frozen products without using a drop of water and then hold the thawed ingredients in a refrigerated state. The unit can even proof raw dough, melt chocolate, or dry age, all of the above in one single cabinet.

“Ingenious”!

From a P&L standpoint, is there a restaurant cover count or B&I dining population threshold at which IRINOX makes sense?

We believe our blast chillers are financially suitable for any size operation, from a small mom & pop kitchen to a 500-seat fine dining restaurant and larger. We pretty much have a model for every production requirement. When opting for a blast chiller/ shock freezer take into consideration the machine’s impact on your food cost, labor utilization, portion control, moisture loss, loss of additional servings, waste reduction, and energy savings and not just on food safety.

Operators often purchase the equipment without totally understanding its true value. When you understand the potential of IRINOX’s use and how it can help make the customer experience better and ease production while maintaining quality, it makes sense to invest a little more money to achieve a faster return on investment (ROI), long-term savings, and a satisfied customer. The proper blast chiller/ shock freezer should be about the preservation of fresh food and making your operation “money”!

You have more completion around the world than you have domestically. What does that say about the U.S. marketplace?

Let’s start with a little history. Rapid or blast chilling has been around in the U.S. since the ’50s with the purpose of preventing food poisoning.

In 1974, France passed a law (NF D 40-001) that required rapidly chilling cooked food to 50ºF at the core within two hours or less, or freezing food to 0 F within four hours or less. The British government took it a step further by requiring chilling two inches of product at a time to 37ºF in 90 minutes or less. What is important to mention is that the controls France imposed

could not be accomplished by using standard walk-in refrigerators or freezers. The process needed to be accomplished by a specially designed unit.

Hence the blast chiller was created, offering greater heat removal capacity and utilizing high-velocity, convected air directed through the product zone to promote fast, even cooling of foods.

Regrettably, in the U.S., conventional storage refrigerators have been the preferred chilling solution of choice for many years as a majority of foodservice operators never familiarized themselves with blast chillers until just recently. Standard coolers are not engineered and equipped to remove heat rapidly from a large load of hot food. Consequently, several hours are required to reduce product temperatures through the temperature danger zone, a situation which inevitably results in loss of product quality and sanitation.

Fortunately, there have been advancements with this technology as you know. IRINOX, I believe, capitalized on this opportunity really well when it introduced the line in North America in the early ‘90s and rapidly became the “Kleenex” for blast chilling systems in the U.S. thereafter, thanks to its early partnerships with prestigious culinary institutions, including the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales University, and Cornell University.

The bar has been raised (pre-Pandemic) in terms of the quality of food that the U.S. consumer will eat in a restaurant. Given that, let’s talk about the quality of products that your system is able to create consistently.

With input from thousands of operators worldwide, IRINOX invented the Dynamic Fresh System®, later labeled as MultiFresh®, which allows operators to control daily product quality.

As a product ages, it loses freshness to bacteria and oxidation. Standard refrigeration systems tend to dry out food, compromising its quality. The MultiFresh® allows you to choose the desired function and will automati-

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Q&A

RONALD VAN BAKERGEM, from page 36

cally identify the ideal temperature and ventilation for each product. The result is much more delicate specific work cycles, which won’t damage or dry out foods, preserving all of their organic goodness.

Let’s talk about the technology that goes into IRINOX’s R&D to make that happen?

Moisture: Moisture loss due to evaporation and drying out, can be avoided with IRINOX. Our blast chillers are able to chill down the food from oven temperature. Most competitors’ chillers can’t chill the food straight from the oven. Chefs must leave the food at room temperature first, until it reaches a core temperature of at least 160°F, and then move it into the chiller. The process can take 30 minutes or more.

Evaporation is in the process. IRINOX can chill food in a way that keeps this weight loss to the minimum, thanks to its indirect air ventilation system.

When chilling from oven temperature (instead of 160°F), to colder temperatures immediately, the IRINOX creates a sealing effect on the product’s surface, closing the pores, and avoiding the moisture release. Please note that 80 percent of humidity is lost while chilling from oven temperature to 158°F. With an IRINOX blast chiller, you can save up to an average of 7 percent on weight loss, an average that adds up over the course of a year. It’s 7 percent of food that goes in the air!

Temperature: Standard chilling allows steam or moisture to escape from the hot product. The steam contains flavor, color, aroma, etc. The product will also continue to cook (carry over cook). A blast chilling process stops deterioration due to bacteria, evaporation, and overcooking. After several days, you can serve re-thermalized food, almost at the same quality of the freshly cooked food! With the traditional way of preparing food, what is cooked now is unfortunately not immediately served but placed somewhere in the kitchen at ambient/room temperature due again to the lack of technology and knowledge. At some point someone determines that that same product can be covered and placed into standard refrigeration.

MultiFresh® Next is the first fully customizable multi-function blast chiller, the possibility to customize the blast chiller is unique. MultiFresh® Next adapts to the needs of each customer who can create the ideal equipment configuration for their production operation.

Standard refrigeration is designed to “hold” and not chill. By blast chilling in the IRINOX we reduce the core temperature of food directly from oven temperature to 37°F at the core in a much shorter time. This is thanks to IRINOX’s specially designed air flow pattern in its product chamber. The temperature curve goes down very quickly, passing rapidly the 140°F and 41°F phase, stunting the bacterial growth, extending the shelf life by two to three times, preserving taste, color and consistency.

Can you please share some of the success stories that IRINOX has been a part of in the U.S.?

We are currently working on future rapid chilling equipment roll-outs for multiple hospitals, senior living communities, restaurant chains, universities, U.S. Military ops, and food banks across North America. In the last five years alone, our team has developed and implemented new business growth strategies that has secured additional sales revenue with tier one clients such as Sweetgreen, Microsoft, Google, Amazon Fresh, LinkedIn, Hard Rock Cafe, MGM Group, Vail Ski Resorts, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Albertsons, Penn State University, Universal Studios, Baptist Health Medical Group,

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Frontera Restaurants, and Factor 75 are among those that have adopted the IRINOX blast chillers as a prime specification for their kitchens.

How does the move to blast chilling change the role and vision of an executive chef?

It takes passion to create meals that satisfy and surprise customers every day. Chefs and foodservice operators have that passion, it is found in their attention to details, their constant research for the best raw ingredients and suppliers, and their mission to make simple food a treat for any palate. All of this takes confidence in your equipment, reliability, and certainty in the technologies used daily to ensure freshness of every dish brought to the table. The IRINOX MultiFresh® blast chiller has completely eliminated the stress factor in the kitchen and allowed thousands of chefs to set their products in our machines and forget about them until they’re ready to be served. The IRINOX has a chef’s back 24/7. It has become their “trusted kitchen assistant.” By utilizing more current technology like IRINOX, chefs not only save on the bottom-line food costs, but also decrease waste and energy consumption, increase yields, manage labor more effectively, and increase product shelf life. When hot

products are chilled properly, it allows chefs to prepare items ahead of time, streamline production more efficiently, and make the most out of the equipment even when the kitchen is closed at night, thanks to our exclusive overnight low temp cook and automatic chill feature, for example.

Life has changed, since I saw you in Milan and in New York since show floors. How have the needs of your customer base evolved through the Pandemic?

While many of our customers are trying to restructure their operations in this difficult time, our team is 100 percent focused on staying creative and currently offering numerous monthly training seminars that are a great opportunity for our foodservice designers and operators to discover the many remarkable functions of our equipment. Operators who joined these webinar sessions recently were able to gain a much better understanding of the contributions IRINOX has made to the global foodservice industry over the past decades. The future of the restaurant landscape has changed really fast. Over the last few months, a mass of traditionally dine-

continued on page 40

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Q&A

RONALD VAN BAKERGEM, from page 38

in restaurants had to pivot to an online food ordering deliver and takeout focus, making the IRINOX blast chiller an even more indispensable kitchen tool for them.

We may have seen the end of self-serve in catering or corporate dining. How will that change your role?

With the Online Food Ordering Delivery and Takeout System becoming one of the fastest growing models for most businesses to stay in business or become more profitable, our blast chillers have now truly become a vital resource in these kitchens. Online Food Ordering Delivery Industry growth rates have skyrocketed as millions of customers have shown themselves more than willing to have food delivered at the press of a button. The key is to be able to deliver that food fresh from point A to point B, safely.

In 2018, Frost & Sullivan estimated the industry at $82 billion in terms of gross revenue bookings and is set to more than double by 2025. I honestly think

IRINOX has a historical opportunity to become one of the largest equipment players in this particular arena.

You have new technology on the horizon with MultiFresh® Next. What are your goals for the line?

We always aimed at becoming the first ever 100 percent ECO FRIENDLY Multi-Function blast chiller, using natural refrigerant in the industry and clearly succeeded at this mission back in 2019, with the official introduction of MultiFresh® Next at HOST Milan.

MultiFresh® Next was mainly created for kitchen professionals requiring the best of the best, high-performance, high-power, and high-speed chilling and freezing. This unit’s exceptional performance is achieved with new high-efficiency fans using electronic speed management adjusted to each type of food texture and new compressors that are now running on R290 natural gas. This exclusive refrigeration system offers greater performance than any other blast chiller

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on the market. Our Turbo package for instance, guarantees top notch results and is capable of operating in 109°F ambient temperature conditions. It comes equipped with a 10” touchscreen, swiping capability between pages, and a redesigned home screen with icons arranged in a tighter grid.

The refined layout gives you more room for apps and information. Our new integrated FreshCloud® app allows you to connect to our blast chiller at any time with your smartphone and ensure proper operation, even if you are not around or are busy doing something else. It also allows you to remotely monitor operating data for any ongoing cycle and change settings such as core and cabinet temperature, ventilation and phase duration, remotely launch the pre-chilling and pre-heating phases of a cycle, Save HACCP data in handy PDF reports sent by MultiFresh® Next, receive real-time alarm notifications, and much more!

When will it be released?

The line will officially take off in the U.S. and Canada in June 2021, with a progressive roll-out strategy as we still need to phase out the current MultiFresh® generation over the next few months.

Will it retrofit or supplement existing technology?

The new line will simply become an additional model option for existing operations with current generation MultiFresh® systems in place.

What’s the next step for a dealer/ consultant or end user operator who would like more information?

Send us an email to: info@irinoxnorthamerica.com . You can also find more detailed information on our latest products directly on our website: www.irinoxprofessional. com/usa/ Follow us on Instagram: #irinoxnorthamerica or on LinkedIn on the IRINOX Professional North America page.

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

NEWS

EQUIPMENT SALES NETWORKING

FEDD GROUP MEMBERS CORNER

T

he Food Equipment Digital Disruptors are the ones who will forge a path in our industry, leading us into the next era of business through digital content in video, audio & written form. The FEDD group will bring the food equipment industry together, share best practices, provide tools and knowhow through this group, mastermind events and bi-annual conferences.

The skilled trades is at a crossroads and the FEDD members, collectively, will make our industry noisy, building the future together. The FEDD Group hosts bi-annual conferences and Mastermind events throughout the year to build community over competition and help its members build their personal and company brands for success in a 2021 world.

Rich Malachy CEO Malachy Parts & Service richard@malachycares.com

Why we all need to get Fired Up! If you’ve been watching my LIVE Show’s across all my channels, you know that I’ve been “Fired UP” since the New Year started. I’m fired up about the partnerships between manufacturers and service companies (that have not evolved even the everything else around us has). I’m fired up about the skilled trades gap across the nation and how we all have a responsibility to ensure the next generation knows we are here and thriving. I’m fired up about Gold Collar traits and soft skills for our technicians across the industry.

I’m fired up about the #GetOutGoEat initiative that FEDD Media is powering across New Jersey, helping res-

taurants with real dollars and getting diners back out and eating in the restaurants. Regardless of WHY I’m Fired UP, it’s all for the greater good of the industry, my community and my business.

Let’s talk about the WHY a little more in depth. Am I having fun? Yes! When you love what you’re doing, it’s fun. However, there is a business I am building known as Malachy Parts & Service here in the great Garden State and everything I do online, matters to the cause of what happens off-line. The Food Equipment Digital Disruptors is focused on helping the industry understand the importance of digital branding and marketing to create new opportunities they never knew existed. There is a new playing field and it’s called Linkedin, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, TikTok and who know’s what is next. If you’re not there, your competition is. What if I told you they are talking to your employees, your customers, your partners and building relationships? Would you care then?

It’s happening.

Why do YOU need to get Fired UP? 1. To control the narrative of your brand, both personal & professional 2. To be seen by your peers as a thought leader 3. To create new opportunities, you had no idea existed 4. To build stronger relationships with new and old prospective clients 5. To promote your business 6. To add value to others which in turn adds value to your brand (Giving never goes out of style!)

7. To show your employees that you are innovative and growing 8. To attract NEW Talent to your organization Change and growth only happens when you give effort. Are you Fired UP? Email me richard@malachycares.com and tell my why! We can talk about it on my next LIVE!

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Evan Priesel Director of Sales and Marketing Univex Corporation evanp@univexcorp.com

Content Content Content!

Putting out any type of content on social media is better then none.

The content you put out does not always need to be professionally done, however, every type of content you post, should be posted with a purpose.

Your content could be in a form of video, images, blog posts, podcasts and much more but don’t always need to be professionally edited.

Sometimes it is good to show short quick videos or images to show your community a more personable side of your company.

Your content should do one of these three things: - Educate - Inform - Relatable Make sure that your content follows the same “pattern” that aligns with your brands image and core values. Using the same types of color, sound, tone of voice and intro and exit’s (during video especially) is crucial for building your brand and brand recognition to grow your community. Continue to post content out with these tips in mind, and you will notice the growth within your community and increased brand recognition.

Become the Executive Chef of Your Story Believe it or not, the steps involved in creating the life of our dreams mimic the steps a Chef uses to create a meal of her dreams.

The first step required in creating

any level of success in your life is decide to become the Executive Chef of your own story. The Exec Chef is the person who takes total responsibility of the meal. If it’s a hit, they get the glory, if doesn’t live up to expectations, they own the failure and take steps to make it better.

It’s only in taking 100% responsibility for the results of our lives that we have any power to move forward.

We tend to blame events (others, experiences, “I’m the middle child!”) for what we haven’t accomplished.

Or we complain to others about all the things that get in our way of accomplishment “If it weren’t for the traffic in New York City…”

Jason Wange Cal-Mil & Foodservice Powerplant Network of Facebook jwange@calmil.com

Here’s a simple formula I learned from Jack Canfield which will help you take total responsibility for your outcomes: E+R=O (Event + Response = Outcome) You see, it’s not life’s challenging events that keep us from where we want to be… otherwise, nobody would experience success. It’s the way we RESPOND to life’s EVENTS that dictates the OUTCOMES we experience. Some of our most successful industry leaders grew up in poverty, have limited formal education and have chosen their “R” to overcome incredible obstacles.

And in case you’re wondering, Warren Buffet, Michael Jordan and Chef Marcus Samuelsson are all middle children.

continued on page 90

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

ASK ANDREW

FROM THE NYC HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE

PRESENTED BY:

THOMAS DOWNING: OYSTERS AND CIVIL RIGHTS Article by By Daniel Levinson Wilk, Professor of American History at SUNY-Fashion Institute of Technology

T

he intertwined history of restaurants and civil rights goes back much further in U.S. history, maybe even to Black Sam Fraunces, who founded Fraunces Tavern in New York (it’s still there), waited on George Washington and his band of revolutionaries African American restaurateurs have a long history of fighting for freedom.

Just last year, Georgetown professor Marcia Chatelain published Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, a book that looks back on ways Black franchisers of McDonald’s pushed for civil and social equality. The intertwined history of restaurants and civil rights goes back much further in U.S. history, maybe even to Black Sam Fraunces, who founded Fraunces Tavern in New York (it’s still there), waited on George Washington and his band of revolutionaries, and may have foiled an assassination plot against Washington’s life.

One of the most interesting civil rights restaurateurs in New York’s history is Thomas Downing. In the decades before the Civil War, Downing owned and ran an oyster cellar that attracted the city’s elites. In that time, oysters were plentiful—you could pluck them right out of the harbor—and oyster cellars lined the Bowery, the workingclass entertainment district.

Oyster cellars were the McDonald’s of their era: fast, cheap,

popular. They tended to exclude most women, who could not afford the impropriety of walking up and down the cellar stairs; they feared their skirts might ride up to reveal an ankle.

Just as Daniel Boulud introduced the $27 hamburger in 2001, Thomas Downing popularized the high-low oyster cellar. He opened his place in the 1820s at the corner of Wall Street and Broad, by the current site of the New York Stock Exchange. It was an unusual neighborhood for an oyster cellar, the décor was fancy (damask curtains, mirrors, a chandelier),

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

and the food was gussied up (scalloped oysters, fish with oyster sauce, poached turkey stuffed with oysters).

The wealthy financiers, merchants, politicians, and journalists who lived and worked in the area began to frequent his establishment. His fame grew, and eventually he received an endorsement from Queen Victoria for his pickled oysters.

Downing was a Black man who served a rich white clientele, supporting, at least implicitly, the growing conditions of racial segregation. In his off hours, though, he fought for civil rights. He was one of the wealthiest Black men in New York (by the 1850s, he was estimated to be worth $100,000; that’s about $3.5 million today), and used his wealth for political goals. He donated liberally to civil rights organizations that fought slavery in the South, kidnapping of fugitive slaves (and, sometimes, free Blacks) in the North, and the growing specter of Jim Crow segregation laws that spread through New York and other northern states decades before the South adopted them. He attended civil rights meetings, sometimes speaking from the podium. Occasionally he catered events for civil rights organizations. He successfully lobbied his son’s school to hire Black teachers. In 1840, he was thrown off a streetcar and beaten for refusing to disembark because of the presence of two white women. It almost happened again in 1855, but that time he fended off the conductor of a horse-drawn trolley with a brass key that the conductor might have mistaken

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.

for a knife.

Did his rich white customers know about his political activism? Probably some did, but they chose to ignore it.

In 1850, a white oysterman published an article calling him “a notorious abolitionist,” but it didn’t affect his business. It’s not that his white patrons supported his political views—right up until the Civil War, white New Yorkers were mostly racists and largely supporters of slavery in the South. But their desire for good oysters and the warm hospitality of Thomas Downing outweighed any scruples. Today, good food keeps bringing people of different political stripes together. Hopefully that will always be the case.

1 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library.

(1860). Thomas Downing, New York City pioneer and restaurant owner Retrieved from https://digitalcollections. nypl.org/items/8692940a-ff1b-1f62e040-e00a180661b3 2 The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. (1882). The Great Fire, December 16 and 17, 1835. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl. org/items/510d47e0-ce5b-a3d9-e040e00a18064a99

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

NEWS

by Brian O’Regan

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

UNOX EVEREO COOKING SOLUTION IS GAME CHANGER FOR OPERATORS

I

n today’s tech driven society, every industry has been moved by the influence of technology. The restaurant industry which in many cases was slow to adapt technology has finally embraced it.

Leading the way are innovative companies including Unox. The world’s largest manufacturer of ovens has embraced technology and has used it to help thousands of restaurant and food service operators across the globe create a new level of menu quality consistency.

President of Unox USA, Mark Klindera said, “We’re really a tech company that happens to produce cooking equipment.” The company’s core value is their focus on “inventive simplification,” which they have achieved through the development of the EVEREO®, the world’s first “hot fridge”, Unox has invented a way to simplify life in the food service industry. “Unox does a 180, you don’t want to do a 360, you want to face a new direction, not go all the way back to where you started. EVEREO® is a good example of that. If you wanted to store cooked food for an extended period of time you would’ve had to chill it or possibly freeze it,” said Klindera.

“You can hold sandwich meats in your refrigerator for three days, why not hold hot foods for three days.”

The EVEREO® was designed with functionality and efficiency in mind.

“The first thing Enrico Franzolin did when he founded the company, was hire a physicist. He did that because he felt things should be simple, they should be intuitive and made from a human aspect.”

The human aspect is evident in the design of the EVEREO®, with its patented Exeter chip, the “hot fridge” is unlike any other on the market, making it a great aid for operators providing pick-up and delivery options. “Its ability to hold food at service temperature makes it unlike any product on the market. Other brands

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

“The first thing Enrico Franzolin did when he founded the company, was hire a physicist.

He did that because he felt things should be simple, they should be intuitive and made from a human aspect.” — Mark Klindera manufacture a heating cabinet that is heated from the bottom and contains a water line to add moisture, making it a steam box. Our engineers, again the 180, said the humidity is in the food, we need to control the atmosphere,” Klindera continued.

The EVEREO® can hold foods ranging from seared duck breast to chicken wings to rice, all at a perfect ready to serve temperature for that particular dish. Due to the product’s versatility, climate and atmosphere controls, Klindera says that the product has helped many food service operators during the shift from in house dining to pickup and delivery. “We have a Korean BBQ restaurant in Charlotte (NC) that recently bought two EVEREOS®, because of the challenge to hold rice and to hold takeout food. They now have one EVEREO® in the kitchen to help with rice prep and another in the front of the house to help with pickup.”

In addition to its ability to keep food at ready

to serve temperatures for up to 72 hours the EVEREO® also helps operators by taking up a small footprint.

“We reduce footprint with our ovens, footprint with EVEREO®, footprint with everything that we produce, again back to simplification and the physicists. The pan size for our oven determines the size of the cabinet. We have very little wasted space,” Klindera added. “The three best things we bring to market with our products are; number one ease of cleaning, number two the footprint, and number three the price.”

For those who question if the EVEREO® is a worthwhile investment for their business, Klindera has an answer. “The EVEREO® is the type of technology that you can grow with for the next ten plus years. You are making an investment in the technology. If today you are doing one thing and tomorrow you are doing something else, you are not caught having to go out and buy another piece of equipment, you already have it.”

The EVEREO® can be purchased online by visiting the UNOX website (unox.com) or in Metro New York through TD Marketing. “We are excited to partner with Frank Doyle and his team at TD,” Klindera concluded. “They have a great feel for the local dealer and consultant community’s needs.”

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

NEWS

By Wyatt Semenuk

MENU SOLUTIONS

FATHER & SON DUO CREATES UNIQUE VISION FOR PCO FOODS

A

s more and more people become vaccinated, consumer demand increases, and restrictions on the industry begin to fade, the need for supply within the industry has skyrocketed. Customers everywhere have begun to flock back to their favorite businesses, and those same businesses need make sure they have everything they need to meet this increased demand.

Although this may seem like a tall order, due to lingering scarcity and consequently increased prices, businesses like father and son operated PCO Foods exist solely to ease this burden. PCO Foods’ incredibly wide array of products, combined with their focus on affordability, makes them the logical choice for distributors, restau-

rant chains and retailers looking to ramp their businesses up.

“At PCO Foods, we’ve always been about solutions,” said company President, Alan Brown Jr. “Every day we work to broaden our scope. At the start of the pandemic, food service took a hit, so our focus shifted to provide solutions for retailers to keep up with the high demand for proteins, paper goods and other retail products. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked particularly hard on expanding our private labeled brands and creating new programs for food service and retail. The more we can expand our scope, the more people we can help and the more solutions we can provide.” True to Brown Jr’s word, PCO Foods offers everything a restaurant or supplier could possibly need,

PCO Foods’ Alan Brown Sr. and Alan Brown Jr.

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“From the very start, PCO Foods has been about supplying the highest quality and most needed products while helping customers save money on their food purchases.” — Alan Brown Jr. from meat and seafood to premium French fries, desserts, grab-and-go items, and dry goods. They provide an exceptional variety of products and programs to fit the needs of customers in all facets of the food business.

With the advent of the pandemic and the changes in attitude towards health and safety that have come with it, personal protective equipment has seen an exponential increase in demand.

Thankfully, in the spirit of “broadening their scope,” PCO Foods has added a wide variety of FDA-approved PPE products to their selection, including everything from hand sanitizers to disposable gloves, masks, face shields, sanitizing wipes, and more. “Adding PPE to our offerings was a no brainer,” said company founder Alan Brown Sr. “As we mentioned earlier, we’re in the business of providing solutions.

All our customers need to do is tell us what they need, and we get it. In this case, they needed to meet new health and safety standards and to maintain a safe environment within their business, so we provide them with the tools they need to do it.”

Many businesses within the industry are operating on reduced revenue streams or are still reeling from the effects of doing so earlier on in the pandemic. What separates PCO Foods from other suppliers is their specific focus on supplying custom-

ers with what they need at affordable prices and helping them build their businesses. “From the very start, PCO Foods has been about supplying the highest quality and most needed products while helping customers save money on their food purchases,” said Brown Jr. “This is more important than ever in in this pandemic climate, where helping people save money quite literally equates to keeping businesses open. We realize people are doing the best they can to keep their own customers satisfied with their limited resources, so it’s the least we can do to help ease the burden.”

Although PCO Foods has worked hard already for over 25 years to simultaneously provide the best products at affordable prices, Alan Brown Jr, Sr, and the rest of the team don’t plan on stopping there. “It’s great that we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” mentioned Brown Sr, “However that only means we’re on the right track. We as an industry have a long way to go, and PCO Foods will be there for it every step of the way.”

The PCO Foods legacy is about humble beginnings almost three decades ago as a shrimp and seafood supplier. Today, the Brown Family has built one of the nation’s leading redistribution companies with flexibility that is simply unmatched in the foodservice and retail industries.

PROVIDING #1 PRODUCTS FOR FOOD SERVICE & RETAIL BEEF • POULTRY • PORK • SEAFOOD • FRENCH FRIES • APPETIZERS • PASTA DAIRY PRODUCTS • DESSERTS • COOKING OIL • FROZEN VEGETABLES • DRY GOODS DRIED SPICES • GRAB-AND-GO • SAUCES & DRESSING • CANNED ITEMS DISPOSABLE GLOVES • PPE PRODUCTS • SOAP & PAPER PRODUCTS

30 YEARS STRONG FAMILY OWNED & TRUSTED SUPPLIER 800.375.8883 PCOFOODS.COM May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 49

by Brian O’Regan

CHEFCETERA

CHEF MARY ATTEA

THE MUSKET ROOM, NYC

A

s with so many restaurants in New York City, the battle to survive has been waged on many fronts. The Musket Room in Nolita represents how flexibility has enabled how many restaurants have stayed focused on their patrons throughout the Pandemic.

The Michelin-starred restaurant built its pre-pandemic reputation on long, luxurious prix-fixe dinners. That evolved over the last year into expanded outdoor dining and a foray into takeout and delivery.

As patrons return to the Musket Room’s indoor dining room which features state of art UV filtration and its outdoor garden welcomes guests, we chatted with Chef Mary Attea to get her read on business.

Who sparked your interest in cooking?

I grew up in a household where my mom cooked all the time, and my dad cooked as well. We were always eating homemade meals and my grandparents cooked a lot also. My passion for good home cooked food and just my love and enjoyment of food came from my family.

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Buffalo in upstate New York, before I moved to New York City for school Any culinary educational training and what did you take from that experience?

Yes, I went to the Institute of Culinary Education. I’ve always been a person who loves education and learning. The schooling at ICE helped to lay the foundation for what I want-

ed to pursue. It really was a place to learn, it allowed me to step into kitchens already having an understanding.

Can you share your career track with us?

My career in the restaurant industry began in the front of the house, where I worked as a server to help pay for school.

I tried to go into the kitchen once a week to see what it was like.

That job led to me atChef Mary Attea tending ICE where I was able to intern at Annisa, which was Anita Lo’s restaurant in the West Village of NYC. I loved my time as an intern there and after I finished my internship, there was an opening in the kitchen. I took the opening and worked my way up to be the first CDC of the restaurant. I worked there for six years until the restaurant closed in 2017. After that I did a couple of short stints at two NYC restaurants; Vic’s Restaurant in NoHo and High Street on Hudson.

How would you describe your cooking style? would say it’s elegant but not fussy, I draw from a lot of inspirations. I would say it’s sort of Contemporary American, globally inspired dishes. I like to present my dishes in a way that is nice but, not doing a million steps for every component on the dish rath-

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we’re excited now with the weather warming up for outdoor dining and more people being allowed to dine inside.”

er, I focus on the flavors and keeping them to what they should be.

What attracted you to the opportunity at The Musket Room?

About a year-and-a-half ago, I started talking with the owner at The Musket Room, Jennifer Vitagliano. We really connected. She was looking and the timing kind of worked out. After a few months of talking and finalizing, I started here.

How has the last year for the Pandemic impacted your approach?

Our approach has shifted, we closed for three months due to COVID-19 right after my first few weeks here, so that was a little different. We were working with a barebones staff in the beginning, in addition to putting up structures for outdoor dining, so we had to make a lot of adjustments. But

Where did Takeout & Delivery fit in your strategy to survive and grow?

Before the pandemic we were not much of a take-out restaurant, we had the reputation of a sit-down fine dining restaurant. We adapted some dishes for a takeout menu but mainly focused on outdoor dining in our back garden, or have guests dine inside when it is available.

As you look at your menus, what is your approach to the design and equipment of your kitchen?

Well, it’s difficult because you have to design something that makes sense and is obviously executable in your kitchen. In terms of equipment, I don’t really have a range brand preference.

There were some pieces left over from before I got here, and we added a Rational, which we now use for everything.”

What role does RATIONAL and combi cooking play?

We use our RATIONAL to support our full menu. With our duck and chicken dishes, we start our dishes

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

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May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 53

NEWS

by Fred Klashman

RESTAURANT GRANTS

NATION’S RESTAURANTS REJOICE AS SBA OPENS PORTAL FOR RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION FUND

A

fter a year of heavy lifting by a group of independent restaurateurs, the money committed to the Federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund is ready to be accessed.

The RRF provides financial relief for eligible restaurants and related food and beverage service businesses with $28.6 billion of tax-free federal grants if their revenue in 2020 was less than their revenue in 2019. The SBA is the administrator of the RRF. SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman announced the U.S. Small Business Administration began registrations on Friday, April 30, 2021, at 9 a.m. EDT and open applications on Monday, May 3, 2021, at noon EDT for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

The online application will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted. There is also a phone application portal at (844) 279-8898.

“Restaurants are the core of our neighborhoods and propel economic activity on main streets across the nation. They are among the businesses that have been hardest hit and need support to survive this pandemic. We want restaurants to know that help is here,” said Administrator Guzman. “The SBA has focused on the marketplace realities of our food and beverage businesses in designing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund to meet businesses where they are. And we are committed to equity to ensure our smaller

and underserved businesses, which have suffered the most, can access this critical relief, recover, and grow more resilient.”

Established under the American Rescue Plan, and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund provides a total of $28.6 billion in direct relief funds to restaurants and other hard-hit food establishments that have experienced economic distress and significant operational losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemicrelated revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Funds must be used for allowable expenses by March 11, 2023.

“Recognizing the great urgency to help restaurants keep their doors open – and with a clear mandate from Congress – the SBA worked at a breakneck speed and is excited to launch this program,” said Patrick Kelley, SBA Associate Administrator, Office of Capital Access. “From day one, we engaged with diverse stakeholders in the food

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“Recognizing the great urgency to help restaurants keep their doors open – and with a clear mandate from Congress – the SBA worked at a breakneck speed and is excited to launch this program.” — Patrick Kelley industry community to make sure we built and delivered the program equitably, quickly, and efficiently.”

In preparation, the SBA recommends qualifying applicants familiarize themselves with the application process in advance to ensure a smooth and efficient application experience, specifically by: • Registering for an account in advance at restaurants.sba.gov starting Friday, April 30, 2021, at 9 a.m. EDT. • Reviewing the official guidance, including program guide, frequently asked questions, and application sample.

• Preparing the required documentation.

• Working with a point-of-sale vendor or visiting restaurants.sba.gov to submit an application when the application portal opens.

[Note: If an applicant is working with a pointof-sale vendor, they do not need to register beforehand on the site.

For the first 21 days that the program is open, the SBA will prioritize funding applications from businesses owned and controlled by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individu-

als. All eligible applicants are encouraged to submit applications as soon as the portal opens. Following the 21 days, all eligible applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Many feel that it was a New York connection that integral is the passage of the program. The Independent Restaurant Coalition was anchored by Manhattan chef/restaurant owners including Amanda Cohen and Tom Colicchio. They spent countless hours pushing for the passage of the funding. Early on they found the support of Chuck Schumer (D-NY). With the election of Joe Biden to the presidency in November of ‘20, Schumer ascended to the Senate Majority Leader position. That proved vital to the cause as they IRC essentially had to resell the entire program for a second time with the changes in Washington.

“It was a long, hard road, but we got there. We got there,” Schumer noted.

Most importantly as a New Yorker with his understanding of the import of the industry to the New York city and the nation’s economy, he has promised to replenish the funding should it run out as expected. As far as getting the funds, Schumer is confident the process will run more smoothly than the first round of Paycheck Protection Program loans last April and says the Small Business Ad-

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May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 55

NEWS

CULINARY EDUCATION

SMILOW SEES EDUCATION BEING KEY TO SUCCESS AS RESTAURANT INDUSTRY RE-EMERGES

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ick Smilow fears he may be a little too optimistic about the future of the restaurant industry after the Covid-19 pandemic. As the President and CEO of the Institute of Culinary Education, he’s giving thousands of eager students hoping to break into the business reason to be optimistic too.

The Institute of Culinary Education is the largest culinary school in New York City, offering intensive 8 to 13-month programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Culinary Management, and Hospitality Management. Additionally, ICE provides a broad selection of recreational classes for cooking enthusiasts looking to sharpen their skills.

As the end of the pandemic draws closer, Smilow wants to assure New Yorkers considering a career in the culinary arts that a year of closed doors and nightly take-out orders shouldn’t dampen their plans to enter the industry. In fact, this might even be the perfect time for aspirational students to take the leap and enroll.

“Don’t wait,” Smilow advises. “If you get in now, the pandemic will be mostly over by the time you’re good to go.”

With ICE’s intensive programs and strong job placement record, students not looking to waste time are able to use the remaining months of the pandemic to their advantage to receive an education and be able to walk straight into their careers as New York City dining returns to normalcy.

As for the job search in today’s world, Smilow recommends casting a wide net. In the early months of the shutdown, his team worried that students would struggle finding externships in the area-- a requirement in ICE’s curriculum. Soon they came to find that the wide NYC market was still able to absorb ICE externs and former students, even deep in the throes of a devastating pandemic.

The key to finding work, according to Smilow, is adapting expectations. A student may not be able to snag a job at a big-name restaurant in Manhattan that was forced to tighten up its operations to accommodate this year’s losses, but there may be openings at smaller venues closer to home that could prove equally valuable learning opportunities for students looking to gain experience.

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“If you get in now, the pandemic will be mostly over by the time you’re good to go.” — Rick Smilow For those who have already taken the plunge into the business, Smilow believes that the past year was an invaluable crash course in the most important tool a culinary hopeful can have--flexibility.

“Everything that was a good idea before the pandemic is still a good idea,” encourages Smilow. “In today’s world, there’s arguably more opportunities, but with opportunities come complexity. You need a staff and a team that can rise to the occasion.”

In his time at ICE, Smilow has been no stranger to guiding students through challenging times. Since he

joined the school in 1995, Smilow has led ICE through 26 years of twists and turns and has always managed to come out on top. In 2011, he was recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, having directed ICE through four expansions and the creation of its culinary business school.

Beyond his work with ICE, Smilow remains committed to giving newcomers a leg up in the business, releasing his book Culinary Careers: How to Get Your Dream Job in Food in 2010.

As vaccines continue to roll out and restrictions on dining are lifted, Smilow is confident that NYC will weather the storm and enter a golden age of world-class food.

“This has led us to discover why we like restaurants, why we need restaurants, why we go out,” added Smilow. “If restaurants only existed for nourishment, they wouldn’t exist.”

Students entering ICE’s programs can expect to receive the same education enjoyed by their pre-pandemic predecessors.

“This didn’t change the fundamental truths,” says Smilow. “You still need to have good food and give your customers a reason to come back.”

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sales@nbrequipment.com nbrequipment.com May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 57

NEWS

By Keira Mullany

HEALTH STRATEGIES

RESTAURANT AND FOODSERVICE OPERATORS FIND CREATIVE PROTOCOL STRATEGY WITH IMMUNABAND

W

ith the Covid-19 vaccine now available to all adults in the US, Americans are cau-

tiously stepping back into normalcy. After a year of staying home and masking up, Dr. J. Tashof Bernton has a solution for restaurants and customers alike looking to add a little extra comfort to their return to eating out. “All of us have been dealing with the pandemic and thinking, how do we get our lives back to normal?” said Bernton.

“Now finally, with the vaccines coming out, we’re looking at the light at the end of the tunnel.” Bernton, a physician based out of Denver, Colorado, was among the first eligible to receive the vaccine, proudly sitting for his second Moderna shot in February. Vaccination was an important milestone for Bernton, who could finally let out a sigh of relief knowing that he was protected from the coronavirus-- and that he was doing his part to keep others safe too. Inspired by an idea from his son, he dreamt up a way to let everyone around him know that he was fully vaccinated.

“We said, well, what if you had a voluntary system where people could

purchase a wearable band that’s a symbol of vaccination, and also gives you easy access to your own documentation?” explained Bernton. “And that’s where Immunaband came in.”

Bernton’s Immunabands are simple wristbands equipped with a special QR code linked to your personal vaccination records. Each band is embossed with “Covid Vaccinated” in large, clear lettering, and is adjustable in length to fit any size wrist. The Immunaband website offers two options for the bands, allowing the wearer to choose to add their name and type of Covid-19 vaccine to the band or else to only display the QR code.

Either way, the Immunaband promises wearers constant access to their documentation and a subtle way to let others know that they’ve received their dose. “Right now, the only credential we’ve got is the vaccine cards,” Bernton continued. “With the Immunaband, you’re not going to lose your records, it’s not going to get stolen or mutilated, and you have constant access.”

Beyond being a convenient way to simplify your medical records, Bernton thinks that the Immunaband system could make a world of difference in making people feel more comfort-

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“We said, well, what if you had a voluntary system where people could purchase a wearable band that’s a symbol of vaccination, and also gives you easy access to your own documentation?” — Dr. J. Tashof Bernton able readjusting to life after quarantine. “I know that the folks in the restaurant industry have been through hell in the last year,” said Bernton.

“And yet, they’re still looking at how to create a safe environment, how to get customers back, how to get them to feel comfortable coming back, and the Immunaband can play a really significant role in that.”

Bernton sees Immunaband as an opportunity for restaurant staff to assure customers that they are in a safe environment that takes Covid-19 seriously. Additionally, introducing a uniform Immunaband system into restaurants provides a new incentive for staff to sign up for their dose. Despite strong vaccine rollout in the US, Bernton, like many healthcare professionals, is not convinced that we’ve seen the last of Covid-19.

With as many as a quarter of Americans considering declining the vaccine, the road toward herd immunity might just be a little longer than some might hope. As restrictions continue to be lifted, the Immunaband will continue to serve as a mark of comfort and safety, especially for businesses offering indoor dining. “This is a small thing that I think can have a big impact,” concluded Bernton.

In a post-Covid world, comfort is key. Bernton and his team hope that with the help of the Immunaband, people can feel safe gathering together once more to celebrate the muchwelcome end of a year no one will ever forget. The Immunaband is on sale now for $19.99 on its official website. https://www.immunaband.com/

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

COCKTAILS TO-GO FOR THE WIN

WITH FRANCINE COHEN

SPRINGING A FRESH APPROACH ON THE THREE TIER SYSTEM

I

f you’ve spent any time on social media lately and have friends who live in the Washington/ Maryland/Virginia area, surely, late March and early April left you with an eyeful of your friends’ annual cherry blossom photos. Like clockwork these go up on social media, or are shared via email, as Washingtonians flock in early spring to the most advantageous vantage spots around town to bask in the beauty and joy spread by these fluffy pink and white renewing gifts that first arrived from the city of Tokyo in 1909.

This initial gift of 2,000 trees unfortunately arrived infested and had to be destroyed, but a short time later they were replaced with 3020 trees, courtesy of the Japanese and planted in their new home around the

Tidal Basin and in other iconic spots around town as a vernal reminder of friendly relations and solidarity between nations.

In Japan, a festival celebrating the cherry blossoms goes back centuries; here, just one. Nonetheless, this annual beautiful display of nature perfectly reflects the distributor, on and off-premise account relationship and serves as a constant reminder that taking part in something together is a good way to end up better and stronger individually because of it.

Now we see hope for a “new normal” in the blossoms that warm weather brings as bar and restaurant owners are picking their heads up from the grind of just making it through the pandemic. Finally, the time has come, as the last of the

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states like New York, have caught up with the rest of the country and are increasing availability of the vaccine; it signals a pending flood of regular crowds coming through their doors in due time.

These pink and white symbols of renewal are a good visual cue to rethink how the three tiers in the beverage alcohol system worked together in the past, and how business can be better together moving forward.

New legislation has been enacted with the hope it will stimulate economic growth and right some financial wrongs suffered over the last year. Chris Underwood, Board of Managers RNDC- West and incoming chairman for Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) notes, “Our on-premise partners

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

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

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

have suffered unprecedented hardships due to the global pandemic and wholesalers value longstanding, and in some cases, multigenerational industry relationships with onpremise partners.”

Those on-premise partners carried the bulk of the burden during the pandemic as liquor stores were able to keep doors open. That’s why Underwood, and his colleagues at WSWA, like Michael Bilello, SVP Communications and Marketing, are applauding the change. Bilello comments, “Every meal in a restaurant means economic activity that benefits the entire restaurant team -- from the owner to the cooks and waitstaff directly. It also creates a ripple effect that helps the meat and vegetable vendor as well as wine and spirits distributors who rely on restaurants as important customers.”

Bilello adds, “Anything that gets people spending money in our nation’s restaurants should be applauded at this juncture. This measure will help restaurants, some of the hardest hit businesses by the pandemic, and deduction is helpful to businesses

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NEWS

by Wyatt Semenuk

SUBURBAN RESTAURANTING

GALLO AND CASTELLANO TEAM TO GUIDE CT EATERY THROUGH CHALLENGING TIMES

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affaele Gallo and Chef Giuseppe Castellano know that recipe for success is teamwork. For almost two decades the duo have collaborated on building a great customer experience.

At their Gallo Ristorante in Ridgefield, CT, they have once again brought their interpretation of authentic Italian cuisine to an adoring suburban customer base.

“At Gallo, we take our time to source the best ingredients so we can craft outstanding and authentic Italian Cuisine,” Castellano explained. “That means right down to the tomatoes in our sauce and the oil in our pans. Our chefs come in at 5AM to turn handground flour and farm fresh eggs into the pasta and pizza you’ll eat tonight.”

In order to consistently accomplish that goal, Gallo and Castellano have partnered with one of the nation’s pre-

mier food distributors: Chef’s Warehouse.

“Chef’s Warehouse has always been there for us,” said Castellano, “Their support for us is unshakable, and is what, in-part, allows us to provide the top-notch experience that our customers have come to expect from us.”

“When it comes to customer service, the focus of Chef’s Warehouse on providing solutions blows every other distributor I’ve worked with out of the water,” proclaimed Castellano. “Regardless of what issue we’re having, whether it’s obtaining a certain ingredient, dealing with a scarcity, or otherwise, our Chef’s Warehouse rep Tim Mullen has us covered. We fill them in on the need, and they find us a solution, it’s as simple as that.”

Not only is Chef’s Warehouse focused intently on listening to their customer’s needs, the sheer breadth

Ridgefield restaurant owner Raffaele Gallo, right, and his business partner Chef Giuseppe Castellano, left

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“Our chefs come in at 5AM to turn hand-ground flour and farm fresh eggs into the pasta and pizza you’ll eat tonight.” — Chef Giuseppe Castellano of their offerings are virtually unmatched.

“I pride myself on my creativity, and adding my own personal touch to classic Italian dishes,” said Gallo’s executive Chef. “In the past, other distributors I’ve worked with have occasionally struggled to supply me with the ingredients I need to do my best work. Since I began my relationship with Chef’s Warehouse over 15 years ago, they’ve kept up with me stride for stride, every single day. It has never mattered how unique the ingredient, or how high quality it needs to be, the

The interior at Gallo Ristorante in Ridgefield, CT

team at Chef’s Warehouse has consistently given me everything I need to provide my customers with the best food possible.”

Castellano has brought a diverse background to Gallo. He has built a successful portfolio of restaurants in Cambridge, MA and Manhattan.

“The key is to listen closely to needs of your customer base and then to consistently create a special customer experience, Castellano concluded. “It doesn’t matter where the restaurant is located, the process of getting it right stays the same.”

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

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May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 63

NEWS

COOKWARE SOLUTIONS

LLOYDPANS ADDS CHICAGO

DEEP DISH PIZZA PAN TO LINEUP

L

loydPans is digging deeper, possibly as deep as we can go, and we’ve added a new pan to our lineup that showcases one of the most popular pizzas in the nation: the Chicago deep dish.

Introducing the Chicago Deep Dish Pan, which is the perfect pan to help pizzerias and foodservice operations recreate the popular pizza that Chicago is known for. It’s so popular, in fact, that it’s branching out to the entire country.

Living true to their name, Chicago-style pizzas are known for their deep, buttery crusts layered with ingredients to create the pizza’s uniquely thick look. Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Pans come in 1.5” and 2.25” depths, and both come in a variety of diameters.

Additionally, Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Pans come with LloydPans patented pre-seasoned Tuff-Kote (PSTK®) finish. PSTK® eliminates the need for pre-seasoning, messy oiling of pans and offers an unparalleled durability built for commercial kitchens. The coating also makes the depanning/cleanup process a breeze.

“We’re excited to bring the Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Pan to the Lloyd-

Pans family,” Traci Rennaker, LloydPans’ president and CEO, says. “The deep dish pizza may be a Chicago institution, but it’s garnering more interest throughout the country, so the timing couldn’t be better to add it to the lineup. It’s already one of the most popular regional styles of pizza in the nation, and we’re excited to see its continued growth. ” LloydPans Chicago Deep Dish Pans include the following features: • Can be stacked dozens high • Stacks are stable for easier carrying • Ideal for proofing dough • Less expensive, since separators are not needed • 1.2” clearance between pans • Round rim for safe handling

“We’re excited to bring the Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Pan to the LloydPans family,” Traci Rennaker, LloydPans’ president and CEO, says. “The deep dish pizza may be a Chicago institution, but it’s garnering more interest throughout the country, so the timing couldn’t be better to add it to the lineup.”

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• Heavy 14-gauge aluminum • Choose PSTK finish or bare aluminum LloydPans, a U.S. manufacturer of commercial pizza pans and tools, bakeware, cookware and foodservice equipment, is located in Spo-

kane Valley, Washington. In addition to an extensive line of standard products, LloydPans also offers custom solutions for just about anything their customers need. LloydPans’ products are sold online at www.lloydpans.com and through distributors.

May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 65

NEWS

RESTAURANT OPERATIONS

4 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR RESTAURANT’S MARKETING ROI

C

ustomer habits influence a vast majority of restaurant operations. For operators, attracting new customers and ensuring they stay loyal is key to success—and that’s never been more important than in today’s post-pandemic landscape, when consumer dollars are up for grabs, but consumers’ needs are different than they used to be.

Ryan Gromfin, author, speaker, chef, restaurateur and founder of The Restaurant Boss, has helped hundreds of operators grow and scale their businesses. Recently, Gromfin offered innovative marketing strategies to help operators grow their customer bases in the webinar “Reach New Customers and Maximize Marketing,” hosted by the National Restaurant Association Show.

Here’s a look at four of the best practices he shared in the session.

Identify the ideal customer The reality of any customer base is that it’s ever-changing, even for the most loyal customers. For instance, a family’s child could change schools, and the family would no longer pass a certain restaurant on the way home.

This natural shift in customer loyalty is referred to as attrition—the natural loss of some customers. The idea, Gromfin says, is to ensure that more customers start and keep coming in than abandon the restaurant.

Gromfin notes that identifying ideal guests is the first step to attracting them. Operators should imagine the demographic of their ideal customer, including their age, gender, income, marital status and education level, as well as more specific factors such as what magazines they read, what their

favorite social media platform is and what TV shows they watch. By identifying the ideal guest, operators can identify the best type of marketing to attract that demographic—for instance, the marketing used to attract young families is going to be different than the marketing used to attract business executives.

By identifying who the ideal customer is, operators can better strategize their marketing efforts and appeal to those guests—building a lasting relationship with them.

Understand customers and optimize marketing efforts The next step is honing the restaurant’s brand. After the ideal customer has been identified, operators should think about what their brand stands for and what the brand’s competitive advantage is—why should the ideal guest eat at that specific restaurant?

Is it in a great location? Are the prices lower than other restaurants? Is the food different than what other places are offering?

Next, operators should identify 10 places that their ideal customers are hanging out; this will help the restaurant determine who to partner with, where to advertise and more. For instance, are customers hanging out at the nearby gym, or do they work at the office building across the street?

Whatever the case may be, the more operators can pinpoint about their ideal customer base, the better.

Meet consumer needs Beyond identifying consumers’ interests, it’s essential for restaurants

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to meet customers where they are at.

For example, customers may not have considered the importance of curbside pickup a year ago, but nowadays, they may only patronize places that offer it. Likewise, operators need to consider what their menus look like online—with the increase in online ordering since the onset of the pandemic, consumers increasingly order with their eyes. Be sure to load photos of the menu items that look spectacular; food styling and professional photography is a must. Customers now search for specific items—best cheeseburger, for instance—rather than simply searching for burgers.

And online reviews influence where customers order from, too, so be sure to stay on top of what customers are saying about the restaurant, and encourage diners to leave a review if they had a good experience. In other words, optimize everything—from the menu to the pictures of menu items to the website and online ordering forms. Removing roadblocks means fewer chances for customers to get frustrated and click away.

Strategize, don’t advertise Ensuring current processes are meeting consumers where they are is crucial. Making sure amenities such as delivery, curbside pickup and even alcohol delivery are available where

possible is a great way to ensure that customers have a good experience with a brand—exceeding diner expectations is paramount when working on building a loyal consumer base.

Rather than simply advertising, operators need to strategize their marketing plans and create a funnel. With this method, operators create awareness of the brand, attract new customers and “automatically ascend”—that is, highly target those potential new customers to ensure they become actual customers. Unless the marketing campaign has a clearly defined goal—such as to get new customers in the door— it won’t work.

What’s next?

To truly enhance the experience for customers, operators should first identify who their ideal guest is, then exceed that guest’s expectations with every interaction. Finally, restaurants should craft strategic marketing campaigns rather than one-off advertisements in order to more mindfully attract and retain customers.

Want to learn more? You can find more free, expert-led education sessions to view at your convenience and connect with close to 1,400 supplies in The Show to Go—create your profile today at https://www.nationalrestaurantshow.com/mys/show-to-go!

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May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 67

NEWS

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLY

ITW GARNERS TOP NATIONAL EPA ENERGY EFFICIENCY HONORS

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or the 14th consecutive year, ITW Food Equipment Group is proud to announce that it has once again earned the nation’s highest honor for energy efficiency. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy announced last month that it has awarded ITW Food Equipment Group its ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence Award for 2021.

By maintaining a focus on energy savings and efficiency in the manufacturing of food equipment from its family of premium brands—Hobart, Traulsen, Vulcan, Wolf, Baxter and Stero – ITW Food Equipment Group has earned Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence awards since 2010, as well as ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year awards in 2008 and 2009.

The Sustained Excellence award is the highest honor bestowed by the ENERGY STAR program. Winners are part of a distinguished group that has made a long-term commitment to fighting climate change and protecting public health through energy efficiency. They are among the nation’s leaders in driving value for the environment, the economy and the American people.

“Despite its many challenges, 2020 was a successful year for the development, introduction and sales of energy efficient, ENERGY STAR certified equipment from ITW Food Equipment Group brands,” said Todd Blair, Director of Marketing, ITW Food Equipment Group.

“We know that partnering

“We are committed to manufacturing more efficient commercial kitchen equipment for foodservice and food retail professionals, so they can feel confident they are using equipment that decreases impact on the environment as well as on their bottom line.” — Todd Blair with ENERGY STAR and the EPA is especially important for our customers and those they serve every day. We have built our reputation on manufacturing high-performance commercial food equipment products that deliver superior energy and resource efficiency. We are committed to manufacturing more efficient commercial kitchen equipment for foodservice and food retail professionals, so they can feel confident they are using equipment that decreases impact on the environ-

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ment as well as on their bottom line.”

With an expansive offering of more than 430 ENERGY STAR certified products, ITW Food Equipment Group is focused on the continued development of next-generation, energy-efficient equipment in 2021; the promotion of resource efficiency to its dealer network and customers; and continuous efficiency improvements at its manufacturing facilities.

In 2020, ITW Food Equipment Group brands introduced 48 new ENERGY STAR-certified models to market, a nearly 12 percent increase from 2019 with the majority of those new models priced in a more affordable tier. The award came as the result of key accomplishments from each of ITW Food Equipment Group’s brands in 2020 to produce energy efficient equipment and technology.

Traulsen increased its ENERGY STAR listing by 47 models as a result of the introduction of Centerline™ by Traulsen mid-tier offering, for a 125 percent increase in the number of eligible ENERGY STAR models available in 2020 compared to 2019. Vul-

can published an updated ENERGY STAR toolkit for reps, containing upto-date rebates by state in list and map form as well as a sell sheet with talking points.

Hobart Warewash launched a new ENERGY STAR certified Ventless RackConveyor dish machine with an energy recovery system that lowers the amount of energy consumed by 30 percent per rack compared to competitive ventless machines. Hobart Warewash also grew its obsolete program, targeting older Hobart units for upgrade to new ENERGY STAR certified units by providing owners of legacy equipment with cost and energy savings figures.

In response to COVID-19, ITW Food Equipment Group pivoted to virtual ENERGY STAR training sessions, reaching more than 1,000 employees, sales professionals and dealer/ distributors.

An array of physical plant efficiency improvements at the company’s campus in Troy, Ohio, including lighting (fluorescent to LED), HVAC (ENERGY STAR system installation), new energy efficient windows and roofing insulation.

“ENERGY STAR award-winning partners are showing the world that delivering real climate solutions makes good business sense and promotes job growth,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Many of them have been doing it for years, inspiring all of us who are committed to tracking the climate crisis and leading the way to a clean energy economy.”

ITW is once again receiving the highest honor among ENERGY STAR Awards is the ENERGY STAR Partner of

continued on page 100

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PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS

WITH DAY & NITE/ALL SERVICE’S MIKE BERMAN

CREATING YOUR COMPELLING CASE TO LOWER EXPENSES

U

nderstandably, trying to renegotiate your lease is an appealing tactic. However, history and growing evidence shows this to be a poor business strategy. As strategy must always drive tactics, before even considering lease payment relief discussions with a landlord the smart operator develops a compelling case.

Nobody questions the serious economic blows Covid-19 has landed on restaurants, hotels and the entire hospitality sector. Fact is, commercial real estate has suffered at least the same consequences –arguably worse– subject to lingering effects well after there’s a return to near or full indoor capacity. Landlords and building managers surely can’t find fault with

the core economic reasons why you’d want rent relief, but granting any exceptions is tantamount to (their) becoming a partner in your business.

After all, commercial real estate – particularly prime street level space typically occupied by restaurants– is the very definition of a finite resource.

Commercial real estate professionals are obligated to maximize yields on their (most) precious assets. Accordingly, the critical question you must answer is: why should your landlord make a rent reduction investment in your concept?

Interest rates are every bit as important to commercial real estate as the price of food is to hospitality.

Although interest rates have stabilized in recent weeks, thus far 2021

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rates have ticked up with many leading indicators suggesting continued volatility. Property valuations are also anything but certain, creating reasonable unease for both developers and financial institutions holding mortgages. In sum, every landlord not only feels hospitality’s pain they are living it every bit as deeply as our industry is. Sympathy alone cannot justify reducing rent, your compelling business case will determine whether or not any landlord can rationalize the risk. Unfortunately, many of the measures being taken fall far short of compelling business arguments.

The Centers for Disease Control’s most recent guidelines places low value on surface cleaning as a method for protecting against coronavirus and other dangerous airborne pathogens. Wearing shoes, shirts and washing hands after a trip to the restroom are minimal hygiene standards. Of course maintaining a clean facility is important—but hardly compelling.

For a landlord to contemplate a rent concession you must take tangible action by wisely investing in your business first. Indeed, demonstrating confidence with a meaningful plan to drive your business forward must form the basis of your strategy is as necessary for your own success as it is for having a landlord buy in.

Return on investment is the ultimate calculus—for your own enterprise, for all stakeholders, particularly your landlord.

Day & Nite Performance Solutions offers the widest range of highest impact, most cost-effective integrated suite of technologies – products – services certain to generate the most favorable return on investment, serving as the basis for a compelling business case for your employees, guests

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

and notably, landlord. As an essential investment in your business, proven bi-polar air ionization and accompanying highly engineered indoor environmental quality solutions delivered by the Day & Nite family of companies further solidifies a case that your smart, compelling investment in your business success merits a landlord’s willingness to (re)negotiate a lease.

After all, there is no sweeter music to the commercial real estate industry’s ears than favorable net operating income; your thriving enterprise on the other side of Covid-19 is the greatest symphony any landlord would ever want to hear. But the starting point for your strategy and your compelling business case crescendo is strictly a function of what you are willing to do.

Expecting a landlord to reduce rent in a business unwilling to invest in itself is unlikely to the point of unreason.

Day & Nite’s unrivaled range of high-impact indoor environmental and food safety solutions is further matched by an equally favorable assortment of financing options. To learn more about how you can best propel a business in ways that will be as meaningful to all other stakeholders as it is to you email jbf@wearetheone.com

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

NEWS

by Claudia Giunta

DISPOSABLES PERSPECTIVE

ELARA’S GRINBERG READS AND FORECASTS WORLD GLOVE MARKET

T

he pandemic has no doubt brought a heightened awareness of health and safety concerns, especially within the foodservice industry. Customers want restaurants and retail facilities to be trained on proper cleanliness standards, use the right equipment, and handle the packaging of their goods in a safe and efficient manner.

The marketplace is changing and it is worth the time to find the right partners to help read the market properly.

Dan Grinberg, President and CEO of Elara, fits that bill perfectly. He was an active participant of the glove industry from a young age, having been raised in a family that owned a food service glove business. He joined the company, Island Poly, in 1990, and in 1992 was responsible for developing a new brand called FoodHandler. The success of FoodHandler led to the company’s eventual sale to private equity investors.

Grinberg would soon start a new company, Elara Brands, to produce gloves, bags, and protective apparel.

Elara supplies trusted products and continues to educate its customers on the marketplace’s new cleanliness standards, much of which will become the new norm.

Grinberg’s 31 years within the glove industry has exposed him to the evolution of foodservice sanitation standards. “In 1991, just a year after joining the business, New York State banned bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, which in turn influenced new health codes around the nation. With Covid, there’s now a renewed focus on restaurant safety,” discussed Grinberg. “Covid-19 has brought health and cleanliness concerns to the forefront of customers’

minds. Visible glove use is important to guests nervous about on premise dining.”

The biggest change in how glove materials have evolved over Grinberg’s career has been the prominence of nitrile. “It’s the superior product. It has the best resistance to chemicals, animal fats, and tearing.

Nitrile glove technology allows the product to be thinner, more comfortable, and much stronger,” says Grinberg. “If you buy gloves that aren’t made with the best materials, you will go through more of them, wasting money, slowing down workers, and putting hygiene protocols at risk.

You don’t want to cut corners when it comes to safety.”

Though latex was the popular choice in the 1990s, there has been a rise in vinyl, nitrile, and other synthetic materials that didn’t have natural proteins causing allergic reactions.

And while most disposable gloves are made in Asia, Grinberg says there will be more domestic production for hospital use, though the impact on overall supply will be relatively small.

Before COVID-19, Elara had a sta-

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“It’s the superior product. It has the best resistance to chemicals, animal fats, and tearing. Nitrile glove technology allows the product to be thinner, more comfortable, and much stronger.” ble availability of gloves. However, when global demand spiked in 2020, industry-wide shortages became rampant. Manufacturers responded by cutting down on the variety of gloves, limiting colors and focusing on the highest-demand items.

“Manufacturers converted most production to lighter gloves used in hospitals,” said Grinberg.

Elara responded with an allocation plan to ensure customers were stocked with gloves. They also provided customers with cost-saving options. For example, Versafit is a vinyl/ nitrile hybrid that’s less expensive than a 100% nitrile glove. Digifit is a polyethylene hybrid glove that offers costs savings versus vinyl gloves.

“It was a challenging year, but we are fortunate to be in the line of busi-

ness we are in, considering the state of the world.”

As for the outlook, Grinberg expects demand for disposable gloves to remain high. While vaccinations will reduce Covid cases and stabilize demand in hospitals, the economic recovery will increase glove use in restaurants, travel, and other industries.

From a supply standpoint, nitrile availability remains tight but is gradually improving, though prices are still high. At the other end of the spectrum, vinyl glove prices are coming down from their peak due to an oversupply in the market. “The scarcity of vinyl gloves at the start of the pandemic led to panic buying. Manufacturers ramped up production and now importers are lowering prices trying to move through excess inventory, good news for buyers.”

With some gloves becoming more readily available, the sense of panic about acquiring goods that Covid-19 initially brought seems to be calming down. Grinberg’s advice about the upcoming Restaurant Revitalization Funds is to remain patient in the current environment and find a supplier you can trust and work closely with towards establishing long-term goals.

For more information about Elara’s products and services, please visit https://elarabrands.com/ or contact your distributor and ask for Elara’s full line of solutions.

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

elarabrands.com Sold through authorized distributors

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

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

SCOOP

INSIDER NEWS FROM THE FOODSERVICE + HOSPITALITY SCENE

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

ELEVEN MADISON PARK AND RETHINK LAUNCHED FOOD TRUCK TO FEED TO NEW YORKERS IN NEED SCOOP learned that Daniel Humm’s celebrated fine-dining restaurant Eleven Madison Park is once again partnering with NYC-based food nonprofit Rethink Food to help feed New Yorkers in need with the launch of the Eleven Madison Truck. Initial plans include serving 2,000 meals a week in neighborhoods throughout the Bronx and Brooklyn.

The three Michelin-starred establishment had transformed its space to become a commissary kitchen during the pandemic and donated up to

3,000 meals a day in the collaboration with the nonprofit. This new truck will be funded in part by diners who buy EMP’s to-go meals and will target areas challenged by food insecurity.

MICHELIN GUIDE RETURNS WITH BRAND-NEW GREEN MICHELIN STAR FOR CHEFS PRACTICING SUSTAINABILITY SCOOP heard that the MICHELIN GUIDE is returning to award its 2021 Star recipients and announced a brand-new distinction on sustainability with the Green Michelin Star.

The Green Michelin Star will highlight:

• The chefs’ sustainable gastronomy practices into the culinary experience they provide for their curious guests.

• The chefs with a common cause, whose inspiring initiatives and methods help to raise awareness of the importance of environmental issues.

• The entire ecosystem of a restaurant and gather information about the chefs’ practices and their philosophy on sustainable gastronomy.

continued on page 76

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCOOP

INSIDER NEWS, from page 74

• The chefs whose establishments are included in the MICHELIN Guide selection.

STEELPOINTE RESTAURANT GROUP INTRODUCES THEIR NEW RESTAURANT CONCEPT WITH BOCA GRILL AND RAW BAR AT FAIRFIELD’S H SMITH RICHARDSON GOLF COURSE

PRODUCE MARKETING ASSOCIATION AND UNITED FRESH PRODUCE ASSOCIATION MERGE SCOOP heard that the Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association are merging their resources and expertise to create a new global trade association. The two associations will operate as independent organizations through 2021, with the new association launching January 1, 2022.

PMA CEO Cathy Burns and United Fresh CEO Tom Stenzel have worked with a group of board leaders from each association to develop the strategic commitments for the new association that serves as the core of the agreement. The new association will be led jointly by Burns and Stenzel as co-CEOs throughout 2022. After that time, Burns will become the sole CEO.

CAFE SPICE INTRODUCES NAAN TOASTIES SCOOP heard that Cafe Spice’s Naan Toasties are the perfect solution for those looking to indulge in the bold flavors of Indian street food without buying a plane ticket. These convenient, on-the-go sandwiches combine the comfort of a grilled cheese with authentic Indian flavors, fresh ingredients, gooey, melted cheese and crispy Naan bread.

Inspired by Cafe Spice’s Culinary Director, Chef Hari Nayak’s childhood memories and recent visits to India, Naan Toasties emulate one of his all-time favorites - an Indian grilled cheese sandwich known as a “Mumbai Toastie.” Naan Toasties are ready to enjoy in a matter of minutes and are available at all Whole Foods Markets North Atlantic locations, Fresh

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Cafe Spice Naan Toasties

Thyme and Gelson’s Markets. The three new varieties include: • Chutney Chicken Naan Toastie: Juicy pieces of chicken are smothered in a tangy cilantro-mint chutney, then nestled between two hearty pieces of naan, and topped with a layer of cheddar jack cheese.

• Cauli Tikka Naan Toastie: Cauliflower is roasted with tandoori spices, tossed with a tangy tikka masala sauce, topped with cheddar jack cheese, and cushioned between two perfectly grilled crusty naan slices.

• Chicken Tikka Naan Toastie: Creamy chicken and the zest of the tikka masala are complemented by oozy melted cheddar jack cheese, all held together by crispy, crusty slices of Naan.

Cafe Spice is a leader in ready-to-eat global cuisines including Indian, Thai and Mexican meals.

Handcrafted in New York’s Hudson Valley, Cafe Spice products are made with clean ingredients and humanely raised meats, free of antibiotics.

Naan Toasties are available to purchase wholesale, Hello@Cafespice.com.

H Smith Richardson Golf Course in Fairfield, CT is the site of the new Boca Grille and Raw Bar. An original concept produced by Steelpointe Restaurant Group and spearheaded by Fairfield residents Peter Prizio and Yanni Taxiltaridis, Boca Grille and Raw Bar takes its cues from Steelpointe Restaurant Group’s popular elevated tavern fare and casual vibe found at Metro Kitchen and Bar in Fairfield, combined with the group’s land and sea menu and energy of an active indoor-outdoor venue found at Boca Oyster Bar in Bridgeport, and created an exciting restaurant, bar, and event destination to complement Fairfield’s beloved H Smith Richardson Golf Course.

Boca Grille and Raw Bar is housed in the property’s new 9,200 square foot structure that also includes the golf pro shop and locker rooms. A stunning woodpaneled dome skylight, magnificent stone fireplace and tranquil golf course views share the stage with the restaurant’s New England design aesthetic and eclectic menu. The building is designed by Silver/ Petrucelli and Associates and was built by Wernert Construction Company.

Peter and Yanni are excited to continue their community and charity support with another location from which to produce their numerous fundraisers, host local city functions and professional networking events, as well as provide a beautiful backdrop

continued on page 78

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SCOOP

INSIDER NEWS, from page 76

for residents and visitors to enjoy milestone celebrations. “It’s a new day, “beams Yanni, “The future is looking bright and so is our patio!”

INTERSECT BY LEXUS-NYC WELCOMES THREE MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANT MANRESA AS NEXT RESTAURANT-INRESIDENT AND LAUNCHES NEW OUTDOOR DINING SCOOP learned that INTERSECT BY LEXUS NYC on 14th Street will host its sixth Restaurant-inResidence, with California’s three MICHELIN star Manresa from Chef and Proprietor David Kinch.

INTERSECT also unveiled its first-ever outdoor dining design along with its new first floor concept, The Lounge, designed by the Rockwell Group. The new ground level destination ushers guests into the space with a luxurious yet approachable atmosphere featuring master-level culinary and cocktail craftsmanship. The unique menu by Executive Chef and Lexus Culinary Master Nickolas Martinez is inspired by his international travels as well as INTERSECT’s past restaurants-in-residence and a nod to the Japanese philosophy of omotenashi.

TRADER JOE’S PARTNERS ON ACCESSIBILITY APP FOR CUSTOMERS WITH DISABILITIES SCOOP noted that Trader Joe’s is partnering with MagnusCards by Magnusmode, a free app dedicated to making things more accessible for people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities.

Using digital “card decks,” the app guides users through tasks and activities that could otherwise feel challenging or overwhelming. As Magnusmode’s first grocery partner, Trader Joe’s is offering five grocery shopping-related card decks within the app. The cards utilize visual cues and step-by-step instructions (with an optional audio feature) to help users through different aspects of the shopping experience. Examples include “checking out your items” and “sensory experiences in the store.”

“Grocery stores can be challenging places for individuals with autism, but the basic necessity of buying food and the simple pleasure of selecting what you plan to eat is vital for all people,” said Magnusmode

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founder and president, Nadia Hamilton, in a statement. “Trader Joe’s MagnusCards provide support for a critical skill set that everyone needs and a fun experience that everyone deserves.”

The MagnusCards app is available for download in the Apple App stores and Google Play. The Trader Joe’s MagnusCards can be found in the app’s shopping section.

--------------------------------Take note of the new technology using automated robots and drones!

KROGER LAUNCHES ROBOTPOWERED FULFILLMENT CENTER The Kroger Co. has launched a new automated customer fulfillment center in Monroe, Ohio, which combines vertical integration, machine learning, and robotics with affordable, friendly, and fast delivery service for fresh food. The delivery reaches up to 90 miles from the hub location.

PANERA FOUNDER HELPS PAR TECHNOLOGY FINANCE $500M PURCHASE OF LOYALTY PLATFORM PUNCHH

An autonomous vehicle from Nuro

DOMINO’S AND NURO AUTONOMOUS PIZZA DELIVERY HITS THE ROAD Select Houston, Texas customers who place a prepaid order on dominos.com on certain days and times from the Domino’s in Woodland Heights neighborhood can have Domino’s delivered via R2, Nuro’s custom, autonomous vehicle.

DEUCE DRONE TO DELIVER LUNCH IN MOBILE, ALABAMA Deuce Drone LLC, a developer of last mile package delivery services by drone will launch lunch delivery service by drone for the BB&T Financial Centre office complex sourced from the Legacy Village retail center in Mobile, Alabama.

SCOOP learned that restaurant software company PAR Technology, used by more than 100,000 restaurants, acquired Punchh, a loyalty and guest-engagement provider with services used by more than 200 global brands, for roughly $500 million.

Ron Shaich, founder of Panera, believes PAR’s vision will help more restaurants compete in what he called “the digital arms race.” The deal creates “a unified commerce cloud platform for enterprise restaurants,” and will make it a leader in POS, back office, payment, and guest engagement solutions. Those restaurant brands that can create a differentiated guest experience, aided by seamless omnichannel technology and a superior understanding of their guests’ preferences and behaviors, will be best positioned to win in the ever increasingly competitive restaurant marketplace.”

NYC PASTRY CHEF TRACY WILK RELEASES #BAKEITFORWARD SCOOP heard that Tracy Wilk, an alum of ABC Kitchen and David Burke Kitchen, and the Lead Recreational Instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), new cookbook “#BakeItForward,” highlights the grassroots adventure of spreading joy, kindness and sprinkles of hope by sharing baked goods with essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring 25 recipes and baking tips, “#BakeItForward” also includes inspirational stories from bakers around the world that joined in on this movement of giving, as well as frontline workers that were brought a little happiness through these acts of baking kindness. A portion of all proceeds from book sales will benefit City Harvest.

SOCIETY FOR HOSPITALITY AND FOODSERVICE MANAGEMENT

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NEWS

DESIGN/BUILD STRATEGIES

NYC’S LOGAN BUILDS THE MODEL FOR TRANSITIONING FROM KITCHEN TO DESIGN

I

n the case of Nathan Logan, life as a chef simply wasn’t enough to satisfy his creativity. So, the former Washington State University grad set his sights on creating a truly unique niche in the restaurant and food service design build space.

In what may be destined as a movie script, the California-born Logan started college at Washington State University as a business major. As fate would have it, he signed up for a cooking class on a whim; soon he’d transferred to the Hotel and Restaurant Administration program.

Upon graduation, Logan landed a job in the kitchens of the Hyatt Hotel on Hawaii’s Big Island. “I always loved the hotel side of the business’ Logan explained. So, when I had the opportunity after college to work in Hawaii, I jumped at it. It proved to be very interesting as Hyatt sold the property I worked at to Hilton. The property was insanely busy and with tourists from all over the world you learn about prepping very diverse cuisines.”

Fascinated with the cookery of the Italian chefs at work in the Hawaiian property, he skipped culinary school and headed straight for the source: Italy. He worked in the kitchens of three of the country’s finest eateries: Agata e Romeo in Rome, Le Tre Vaselle in Umbria, and Il Maniero in Sicily. “In those days when you were young and would work for free there was no shortage of opportunity to find work in great kitchens. Since I wasn’t a book learner, it proved to be a great way to learn. “ And his education didn’t stop at the restaurant door. Logan spent his off-hours in the kitchens of the Italian families with whom he boarded, learning—the old-fashioned way— everything he could about pasta and other Italian foods. By the time he

headed back to the States, he was fluent in regional Italian cuisine.

After Italy, Logan’s career path would take him back to the West Coast. While living in Santa Monica just a couple of miles from where he grew up, he got the opportunity to merge his love of the hotel business with the culinary portfolio he had built. “I fell in with a group of chefs who were working for Celestino Drago and Wolfgang Puck and doing the Spago thing.”

With that Logan’s reputation began to grow and he was recruited by iconic hotel executive Bill Kimpton to run the kitchen in one of this family’s hotels. “It was incredible, it was a big company that was run like a boutique and gave me the opportunity to be creative. Companies like that simply don’t exist anymore.” It was Kimpton that would send Logan’s star into orbit as they would move him to Portland, OR where he would become a star at Pazzo. With Logan at the helm, the restaurant would play a big role in changing the way Oregonians thought about Italian cooking.

Nathan Logan

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“I could see that real estate developers and building owners needed expertise in building restaurant space for their properties.” — Nathan Logan After Logan’s dazzling stint in the kitchen of Pazzo, he had a vision for taking his skill set and creating a niche that he could clearly see needed to be filled. “I could see that real estate developers and building owners needed expertise in building restaurant space for their properties.”

With the goal of bringing his experience and business acumen to kitchen and bar design, Logan launched ML Restaurant Solutions in 2008. For the past 13 years, his New York City based boutique food service consulting firm has specialized in kitchen & bar design as well as full scope owner’s representation and construction management.

As challenging as the last year has been for the industry, Logan sees a silver lining.

“Everybody’s (restaurants) renegotiated leases and developers see how important restaurants are as an amenity in their properties,” Logan noted. “Most importantly for the restaurateurs that survived this, there are going to be incredible opportunities ahead.”

As Logan looks to design kitchens during the recovery, he sees several key trends.

“There is no question that you need to make provisions for takeout and delivery that are clearly here to stay. This includes items like host and cold food lockers and really the recognition of the long-term role that ordering with apps are going to continue to play.”

The speed that technology has brought to the kitchen has also modi-

fied how Logan looks at the kitchen equipment he specs for his clientele across the nation.

“There simply is no room for down time anymore. From my perspective, I need to create layouts that offer operational kitchen flow that can minimize labor costs. At the same time, I am asking my clients to invest in the long term value of equipment. So, with brands like Jade, I know they are going to get both consistent menus and the peace of mind they need during peak serving periods,” said Logan. With that in mind, Jade will be front and center in the kitchen of Logan’s latest project, the new Cipriani South Street at the Battery Maritime Building.

The former toque has built a unique understanding of restaurant ownership architects and general contractors. Logan has designed and managed high-profile restaurant construction projects across the country including multiple locations for Japonais, La Biblioquet, La Pecora Bianca and both the Cipriani and Daniel Boulud.

For many New York City operators Logan’s knowledge of the New York City building fire department and Health Department permitting inspections has become a “go-to” resource.

With restaurants across the nation firmly entrenched in the application process for the Restaurant Revitalization grant funding, Nathan Logan and his ML Restaurant Solutions team have become an invaluable resource to the industry.

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

NEWS

CANNABIS DERIVED SOLUTIONS

A CBD COOKING GUIDE: 4 STEPS TO MAKE CBD DISHES

H

emp-derived products, like CBD, are on the hype.

People looking for alternative therapies and alternative medical treatments, are interested in CBD and learning how it works.

One of the most famous methods to take CBD is in food and drinks.

Here we share a CBD cooking guide and some steps to follow before putting CBD on your recipes.

What is CBD? As many people may know, CBD is not like THC—the hemp and cannabis compound that makes people feel high. Cannabidiol (CBD’s long name) is one of the 100 cannabinoids found in hemp, and after being extracted, people take it to alleviate a variety of ailments. It’s

One of the most famous methods to take CBD is in food and drinks.

Here we share a CBD cooking guide and some steps to follow before putting CBD on your recipes. used to relieve muscular pain, combat minor anxiety, or as a sleep aid.

More studies are needed to verify people’s claims, but their experiences have helped understand the compound and its’ capabilities.

Since the 2018 Farm Bill, hemprelated products with 0.3% THC or less are legal to produce, transport, and sell in 46 states. Even though the FDA has not yet supported CBD as a food and health product, many stores across the country sell it. To-

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day, CBD is in tinctures and oils, gummies, and beverages like water or beer. It can also be found in topics and skin creams.

Can I use CBD for Cooking?

Yes, adding CBD in professional dishes is possible. Some users drop CBD oil in cakes and cookies. CBD is a hemp-derived product produced from hemp seeds, flowers, and leaves. The food industry uses seeds to create various food prod-

ucts, including hemp cheese, hemp milk, or hemp oil. Hemp seeds are rich in micronutrients like magnesium, calcium, zinc, and iron, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Adding hemp seeds and CBD oil to the diet could be a great way to get vegan protein.

Four Rules to Follow When Cooking with CBD CBD, as any other ingredient used in the kitchen, has its own rules.

Here are a few to follow to use CBD correctly.

Choose the Right CBD Oil Not every CBD oil or CBD product is made for cooking. As many people know, natural CBD oils and tinctures have an ‘earthy’ smell and taste. The best CBD products for

cooking could be those with flavors added, like vanilla. Flavored oils could suit better on your dish or drink than natural CBD. Use Reputable Brands The CBD market is growing, and many entrepreneurs are opening new businesses. That’s excellent news for the industry: the more people are interested in manufacturing CBD products, the more buyers there will be. But not all CBD products follow the same rules.

It is better to be aware that CBD products used have passed the Certificate of Analysis (COA) and have third-parties lab tests before purchasing them.

Be Careful With the Heat Like many other ingredients in daily cooking, CBD has its preparation method. When adding CBD oil to a recipe, be aware the temperature does not rise above 340º F when baking it. High temperatures could cause terpenes—responsible for the aroma of fresh fruits in the hemp and cannabis flowers—to burn off.

Be Patient Waiting for the Effects Studies on CBD benefits are made with at least 50 mg up to 300 mg to find and establish any result, but they are not conclusive about the correct dose in food. Thus, be careful when dropping CBD oil and be patient waiting its effects.

Want to Learn More About CBD? CBD products are new in the market, and there are many things to learn about them. Before buying any product, we recommend asking the vendor about its features.

If you still have doubts or want to learn more about CBD, attending a CBD event, like USA CBD Expo can make a difference.

USA CBD Expo is the leading CBD and Hemp event in the nation and South America. Our purpose is to connect the best, most innovative prod-

ucts and brands to our attendees. USA CBD Expo successfully brings together a rapidly expanding industry into one global, unrivaled trade show experience. We’re committed to producing the best show possible to advertise our exhibitors’ brands, drive traffic to their booth, and get them closer to potential customers and other businesses.

Regarding the USA CBD EXPO in Atlanta on June 11-13, 2021: At a threehour flight from most major US cities stands the world’s busiest airport,

welcoming over 100 million passengers yearly. Recent cannabis decriminalization has opened the doors to our industry, demonstrated by a 70% increase in medical cannabis card applications compared to last year.

Atlanta has some of the most famous rappers, hip-hop artists, and cannabis influencers, indicating that this is the place to be for CBD! To register for the event, go here: https://events.american-tradeshow.com/CBDExpoAtlanta/ register?code=FOOD

T H E N AT I O N ’ S L A R G E ST C B D/ H E M P EVE N T

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JUNE 11-13, 2021

50+ Speakers

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May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 83

NEWS

RESTAURANT OPERATIONS

VENTLESS SOLUTIONS: DOUBLING DOWN ON PROFITS W hether you are a business owner looking to add a menu to your existing establishment, or an entrepreneur starting out on a new venture, you will want to make sure you are arming yourself with the best tools possible. The kitchen equipment you choose will impact the productivity and overall growth of your program.

Ventless deep fryers, like the AutoFry® are perfect for implementing a foodservice program quickly and efficiently. No hoods? No vents?

No problem! Each AutoFry comes

equip with an internal filtration system that catches the grease laden air created while the machine is running. This saves owners thousands on hood and vent installations and services. Not to mention, these machines are so simple to use, an employee of any age can operate it, avoiding the need to hire a professional cook.

The AutoFry comes in a range of sizes and styles. From single and double baskets to countertop and floor models, there is something for all types of businesses, volumes, and locations. One of our most popular models is our double basket

countertop fryer, the AutoFry MTI40C. This food preparation powerhouse can produce up to 6 pounds (3 lbs. per side) of product per frycycle! Plus, with an oil capacity of 2.75 gallons per side, you can fry approximately 50-100 lbs. of French fries per hour. Talk about profits!

Besides its capacity capabilities, the dual oil pots of MTI-40C come in handy for other reasons. Looking to cook raw chicken or fish? Mandate one side of your fryer for raw

product and the other for frozen.

Maybe you want to accommodate people with certain food or gluten allergies. Assign one side of your fryer as “Gluten Free” or “Peanut Free” to avoid contamination. Adding a foodservice program does not have to be complicated. Our ventless deep-fryers take the hard work out of frying. So, if you are looking to expand your menu and double down on profits, then the AutoFry MTI-40C is just what you need.

No Hoods?

No Vents?

No Problem!

NEW OVENS AVAILABLE!

mtiproducts.com

continued 1-800-348-2976 84 • May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

on page 130

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

NEWS

FOOD WASTE STRATEGIES

NYC FOOD WASTE FAIR OFFERS RESTAURANTS VIRTUAL TOOLKIT

F

or Julie Raskin, the key to the elimination of food waste is to make it fun.

Raskin and the Sanitation Foundation team are set to accomplish that goal with this year’s Food Waste Fair.

More than 1.3 million tons of food waste are thrown out every year by New Yorkers, according to the Sanitation Foundation.

This accounts for about a third of what is thrown out in the garbage. In 2017, the first NYC Food Waste Fair was conceived to support and businesses in trying to make the transition to tackling food waste.

With then Commissioner Kathryn Garcia at the helm, New York City through the Department of Sanitation, implemented a law that required food businesses of a certain size to start composting their food waste or finding some other beneficial reuse for it. “When that law was imposed, the Foundation saw the opportunity to accelerate compliance by supporting for those businesses with resources,” Raskin explained.

The event is held every other year.

In 2019, the NYC Food Waste Fair coincided with the Food Recovery

and Recycling Act, which built on legislation from 2014. This new law required businesses that generate 2 or more tons of food waste per week at a single location to donate unsold but edible food whenever possible. With the NYC Food Waste Fair on the horizon – slated to take place the week of June 14 – it’s no surprise that an integral theme for the 2021 event will be tackling the challenges the pandemic has created with waste collection and diversion.

As with so many aspects of everyday life disrupted by the pandemic, flaws throughout the food systems were magnified in 2020 as New Yorkers had to adjust the way they purchase, eat and dispose of food. “It’s

“That’s where we get to bring in our partners like the DSNY program, donateNYC , who is sort of a matchmaker between restaurants that have excess food and nonprofits serving the community.” — Julie Raskin 86 • May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

more important than ever that we amplify the voices of the people doing right by our city and our environment, provide resources and information to our residents, and lead the world by example,” Raskin continued.

The NYC Food Waste Fair is a resource fair where restaurant managers, grocery store owners, or food managers can go and find all of their options for eliminating food waste. Panels and workshops will be mostly virtual and, for the first time, will include NYC residents in the conversation.

“The shift in resources available from the City during the pandemic created the need for additional programming for residents,” Raskin added. Until last May, the Department of Sanitation was collecting food waste as part of the Curbside Composting brown bin program. Residential collection of food scraps was one of the first programs to get suspended during 2020 budget cuts, though Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that it will

be restored beginning this fall.

“Now, we have all these residents who we’ve for years been training and proselytizing, getting them on board with composting, and we’re sort of leaving them with having to figure out what to do as an alternative,” Raskin continued. “We felt that it was really important this year to have programming and resources made available the same way they had been previously for businesses.”

Topics on the plate for the 2021 Food Waste Fair include feeding more people, eating conscientiously, preventing climate change, saving and making money and being New York’s Strongest (which is the nickname for NYC Sanitation Workers, but also a nod to the City’s recovery).

Coupled with this week-long event is the launch of a new Food Waste Toolkit, meant as an alternative to the inperson expo of previous years.

“We’re taking the expo and putting it online into a comprehensive inter-

continued on page 100

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

NEWS

by Claudia Giunta

EQUIPMENT & SUPPLY SERVICES

LONG ISLAND AUCTIONEER TRIMBOLI SHARES UNIQUE INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

T

he rush to keep up with our current digital age in the midst of a pandemic has led to more and more industries relying on technology, as well as homing in on the lifestyle of its consumers. Gerard Trimboli, founder & CEO at American Auctions Liquidations Appraisals, Inc. is an expert witness in the restaurant field with a strategic understanding of what makes a successful business. Not only has his experience within the restaurant industry grown nationally, but Trimboli also represents an abundant number of major financial institutions. With a calculated understanding of finance and experience within the foodservice world, the Long Island native offers a distinct vision.

Trimboli started in the industry in September of 1991 and in 1994 began focusing on local and smaller businesses. His work in liquidating failed businesses in multiple industries has given him a truly unique perspective into what leads to success and failure.

“Keep in mind, the restaurant industry has always had the highest rate of failure. Statistically, 9/10 restaurants fail and that includes larger franchises. Look, we all know the key factors that impact a restaurant operation that starts with the lease. But I’m telling you the biggest issue is in many cases nothing having to do with the restaurateur. It’s their lifestyle,” Trimboli explained. “Success in many cases requires readjusting how they live: cars, boats and houses etc.”

Trimboli works for a number of restaurant landlords to liquidate the kitchen equipment left when a restaurant closes its doors. With that he understands what makes them tick. “Ideally, when a tenant leaves,

the new tenant the landlord replaces would need to have the same use in occupancy of the space so it would not need to be renovated. Among the impact of the Pandemic has been a shrinking pool of replacement options for landlords.”

With that Trimboli sees great opportunity for restaurant operators. “Landlords may even give free rent to this new tenant for the first few months and work together on the financial situation that might even include a percentage of revenue.”

Trimboli, also offered insight into the vetting of a restaurant auctioneer. “Look at the company itself and exploring the website, reviews, and equipment. You will typically find more specialized equipment will be used in local markets in independent restaurants whereas bigger chain operations will rely on imported equipment. “Restaurateurs might want to keep any eye on the retail(grocery) side of the things, I have noticed that the typically expensive branded equipment has reduced their costs because start-ups are now buying

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

“Our suggestion is a blend of new specialized equipment that you may never see in an auction with a mix of some of the great value that you will find in our auctions.” — Gerard Trimboli cheaper equipment internationally.”

Partnering with the right auctioneer is an important marketing strategy as well. “If it’s marketed properly, the equipment speaks for itself. Because of the pandemic, manufacturing, supplies, and other demands have put a spotlight on the benefits of hosting an auction. It’s an amazing place for people to find what they’re looking for because they can’t get it anywhere else.”

The restaurant auction industry as with many segments has changed over the past year. Auctioneers that previously hosted larger live events to promote new products have had to adapt to virtual platforms. Trimboli and American Auctions were early adapters of online advertising and technology. “We were among the first to create

an online bidding platform: With this background knowledge in hosting online events, we were able to be ahead of the competition. We’ve learned it’s actually extremely cost-effective to have an online auction and it’s where most of the revenue is being generated during the current pandemic.”

Trimboli also offered his thoughts on a strategy to utilize the upcoming Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant funding to upgrade or expand their kitchen equipment operation. “Our suggestion is a blend of new specialized equipment that you may never see in an auction with a mix of some of the great value that you will find in our auctions.”

“Remember the kitchen generates the most income. So, focusing on upgrading equipment and supplies is a great way to ensure the on-going satisfaction of dining customers,” Trimboli concluded. “Keep in mind too, that you are looking for your equipment to be able to handle the takeout and delivery operation that you built over the past year with the return of your indoor dining patrons,” Trimboli concluded.

Businesses who are interested in partnering with American Auctions should visit their website at https:// aalainc.com/ where information regarding future auctions and how to contact us are detailed.

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

FEDD GROUP

from page 42

Joe Ferri COO Pecinka Ferri

Charlie Neuman Sales Representative,

L.A.S. Associates/ FAIM Reps, LLC

joe@pecinkaferri.com

Day-Cation Zoom fatigue got you down? Waiting on your first or second vaccine appointment? If you have not left the four walls of your abode except to pick up some groceries, and maybe you have even cancelled your dream vacation, how about spending your stimmy money on an exotic journey to another culture?

We are truly blessed with a plethora of international food options. Whether you are dining in, dining out, picking up, or accepting delivery, you can experience the sights, smells, and tastes of a far-off locale.

With all the continents represented in our local food scene (OK, maybe not Antarctica) the choices are endless.

Pick a different one every week (or every day!). While dining at home, turn on some matching background music, or maybe watch a movie or travelogue of the spot while enjoying your alluring feast, put on your resort wear, take out the good china and crystal and settle in for a sentimental journey. Let us support our local eateries as many struggle to reopen. As the weather starts to warm-up, consider dining alfresco for the sheer joy of it. Perhaps even partake in a cuisine-matching adult beverage from that special spot.

While we cannot travel internationally for leisure at present, there will surely come a time in the very near future where we will be back to indulging our wanderlust, and you will be prepped and ready to enjoy the adventure. Get out again; try something new. Mix and match. Do some good for our industry – pay it forward.

Sanitary Start-Up for Restaurant Equipment With summer right around the corner and a large number of the population getting vaccinated against COVID-19, we are about to see more people traveling again. You have more than likely noticed it already; people

charlie@faimreps.com

are more comfortable and they are vacationing to make up for lost time.

With that said, making sure your bar or restaurant is equipped to handle the surplus in new customers is paramount in being successful. Restaurants all over the United States are already starting to see business pick up, as COVID-19 regulations are being relaxed.One way to ready yourself for the upcoming wave is to make sure your food equipment is working and ready to serve you and your guests.

At FAIM Reps we have put a number of videos together explaining some of the steps to take in order to make sure your equipment that requires water is ready. If your restaurant has not been running certain equipment such as ice machines, steam cookers and coffee equipment for over 14 days, then the water in the water filter and the water feeding your equipment could have a biofilm built up in it. Having a biofilm layer in your water line is very unsanitary and can cause health issues if not taken care of properly. A biofilm (bacterial compromised) requires the equipment to be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected, and it also requires water filter replacement even if you changed the water filter just a few weeks or a few months ago. Making sure your equipment is ready to run after sitting for a long period of time is essential, and it can impact how your restaurant will fare with the pandemic seemingly coming into its final stages.

It is recommended that you use a certified food equipment service provider to look over your equipment before opening back up, as they can troubleshoot all of the major problems that may occur from the equipment sitting idle. Most food equipment is built to run continuously, everyday, with the longest breaks usually being 48 hours at the maximum.

Setting yourself up for a successful startup can make a huge difference in

90 • May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

how your restaurant performs. One of the best ways to have a successful startup is to have a certified food service technician look over your equipment to ensure your equipment is ready to run without a hitch. As a food service water filtration professional, this is the greatest advice I can give before gearing up for this summer.

NEVER put your PM out to bid looking for the lowest price Bear with me on this one. There’s logic behind it. At the end of the day, you are looking for a partnership. Not just a product, and not just a service.

That is what is going to be most profitable for you in the long term. So instead of focusing on price, focus instead on asking the right questions: 1. What is your objective on this PM? You’re looking for an answer that suggests that they value aligning their objectives with yours, or already do. Because aligning objectives is the only way to ensure success in any relationship.

2. How do you make a profit on PMs? This immediately shows that you

Josh Zolin CEO Windy CIty Equipment josh@windycityaz.com

understand that PMs are not profitable and will allow you to gain insight on how your provider plans to make money. Look for well thought-out answers that provide detail. Because they’re going to make money somehow and, as a partner with aligned objectives, you should not only know how, but also support it.

3. What do your 3 best customers all have in common?

Here, you are trying to identify the vendors true core values: • “They pay on Time:” - Values Cashflow • “They give us a lot of Work:” - Values Income • “They treat our staff with Respect:” Values Morals Obviously, these are just guidelines.

Word these questions in a way that gives you the information you need to know, above and beyond the PRICE.

May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 91

MARIA LOI

from page 26

Feta are more pronounced, whereas in Macedonia, it is the essence of lemon you first experience. My favorite type of Feta is both creamy and tangy, and just dry enough that it crumbles beautifully – while being moist all at the same time.

It’s important to note that earning the PDO designation is about more than just geography. What’s most important to know about Greek Feta is that it only comes from sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, or a combination of the two. If Feta has cow’s milk in it – it simply isn’t Greek Feta. It also won’t taste as good and may have a slight odor too.

Why do I love Greek Feta?

Greek Feta is full of flavor, beautiful in its simplicity and spectacularly luscious. It’s creamy, rich, a little salty and a bit tangy, but not at all sour. All of these flavorful details are ensured by the PDO distinction, which is so very important. It’s a stamp or seal of the highest quality – confirming that an overseeing agency has ensured that the highest levels of production have been met from start to finish, yielding the best Greek Feta.

Greek Feta is in fact also one of the healthiest cheeses there is. It’s lower in fat and calories and higher in calcium than many other cheeses. It’s also full of B vitamins so it gives you energy and is good for your skin - making it a critical ingredient in any healthy, delicious, well-balanced Mediterranean diet.

According to Dr. Stefanos Kales, a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, “Greek feta is a nutritious food that is highly characteristic of the traditional Greek diet and table.

It is a rich and savory source of healthy protein and calcium with probiotic properties that is low in sugars and carbohydrates. It should be enjoyed in moderation due to its sodium and saturated fat content, but these properties also make it an ideal condiment when added to many Greek dishes.”

Where can you find Greek Feta?

You can find Greek Feta in a variety of high-end grocery stores, from your local cheesemonger and from a num-

ber of suppliers these days. You can even order it online!

Greek Feta should always come in brine and you should keep it in the brine until serving it or it will go bad.

True Greek Feta will almost always be sold in block or brick form – not crumbled – because you want the cheese to retain the moisture to experience its full flavor.

It’s the basis of one of the most popular dips in my Loi Food Products line too - Loi Feta-Yogurt Pougi – which is made with Greek yogurt, Feta, olive oil and some herbs and spices (available at MidAtlantic Whole Foods Markets and FreshDirect).

Is Greek Feta better cooked or uncooked?

Feta is clearly having a viral moment right now thanks to the baked Feta recipe circulating on social media. I personally loved Ryan Seacrest’s version. The truth is – it’s scrumptious no matter how you use it. I love Greek Feta for its culinary versatility – it’s a cheese you can really play around with and it’s hard to find a dish it doesn’t work well in.

In Greece, we most often use it uncooked – adding it to Greek salads of course and on top of all sorts of roasted vegetable and seafood dishes. I use it when making Tyropita Triangles – combining it with Anthotyro (the Greek version of ricotta cheese, or really, I should say that ricotta cheese is the Italian version of Anthotyro) to make the crispy, flaky, melt in your mouth mini cheese pies that are so famous in my home country.

It’s also a delightful surprise, like when used in a watermelon salad with some fresh herbs, or wrapped in phyllo dough and drizzled with honey for dessert. With the best of the best Greek Feta – you can also skip the dough entirely and drizzle a bit of honey directly on the cheese for a tasty, healthy, easy food finale.

However you use it - I guarantee this - you will not be disappointed. Kalí órexi! Enjoy your meal!

For more information on PDO Feta, please check out: https://www.fetapdo.eu/en/

92 • May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

RESTAURANT SBA FUNDS ministration is ready to get the money out quickly and fairly, while making it easy for restaurant owners to apply.

Restaurants, food stands, food trucks, food carts, caterers, saloons, inns, taverns, bars, lounges, bakeries, brewpubs, tasting rooms and taprooms that earned at least a third of their revenues from the sale of food and beverages consumed on site; licensed facilities or premises of beverage alcohol producers where the public may taste, sample, or purchase products; and other similar places of business in which the public or patrons assemble for the primary purpose of being served food or alcohol, will be eligible for grant proceeds.

Franchisees of franchise systems with more than 20 units are eligible if their franchisors are listed on the SBA Franchise Directory.

Businesses not eligible for RRF relief include those that have permanently closed and those operating under bankruptcy protection without a submitted or approved plan of re-

from page 54 organization, state and local government-owned establishments, publicly traded companies, businesses with more than 20 locations (including affiliates) as of March 13, 2020, and businesses that received grants under the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act. Consistent with the legislation and the intent of Congress, the SBA continues to take steps to ensure the equitable distribution of relief, particularly for the smallest businesses, by creating a $9.5 billion set-aside: $5 billion for applicants with 2019 gross receipts of not more than $500,000; $4 billion is set aside for applicants with 2019 gross receipts from $500,001 to $1,500,000; and $500 million for applicants with 2019 gross receipts not more than $50,000.

Its also interesting to note, what types of establishment are not eligible.

These include: permanently closed establishments, Publicly traded companies (but franchisees are eligible) and venues that have a received a

shuttered venue operators grant or that have an application pending.

An entity that owns and operates together with affiliated businesses more than 20 locations, whether under the same or multiple names. This should technically exclude some of the country’s largest independent restaurant groups.

Among the most interesting question is how restaurants can use the grant funds. They can be used for payroll (including health care), rent and utilities, mortgage obligations (including principal and interest), outdoor dining builds and other construction costs, supplier costs, operational expenses, paid sick leave, and any other expenses that the SBA administrator “determines to be essential to maintaining the eligible entity,” according to the March stimulus bill.

Restaurants will also be able to use funds to pay off business-related credit card expenses, third-party delivery commissions, unforgiven portions of PPP loans, propane for food trucks,

and insurance for food truck vehicles, the SBA said during various town halls this week.

The inclusion of mortgage principal is key, as the PPP only allowed for payment of mortgage interest. That means bars and restaurants finally have a way to pay down significant long-term debts, which they might have incurred well before the pandemic through kitchen renovations or initial buildouts. Small operators who maxed out their credit cards will be able to take care of that debt as well. “Don’t forget to prepare a promissory note,” noted Stacy Gilbert of Citrin Cooperman, “and pay yourself back what you lent to your business personally.” Supplier payments are another important inclusion, as restaurant closures and operating restrictions have wreaked havoc on vendors and other parts of the larger food supply chain.

For more information, visit sba.gov/ restaurants or in Spanish at sba.gov/ restaurantes

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

FIORITO ON INSURANCE often accompanies business income coverage for necessary costs, such as having to relocate your business operations to a temporary location as a result of storm related damage.

• Go through a potential business interruption to determine the estimated monthly costs for both loss of income and extra expenses. How long will it take you to get your business up and running again? How much can you afford to lose? Base insurance coverage needs on identified risks to ensure that any business interruption will be covered to the greatest extent possible.

• Flood coverage. It’s important to understand that most business property policies exclude flood coverage.

In addition, businesses typically buy minimum flood coverage limits, but don’t consider that floods can come from even minor storms or no storm at all.

• Examine deductibles. What type

LEGAL INSIDER

from page 16 of deductible do you have on property coverage – a percentage or flat deductible? A calendar year or occurrence deductible? If your business has a lot of locations, occurrence or percentage deductibles could potentially be more costly. Additionally, many policies will have lower deductibles for wind and hail events than for a named storm.

A Hard Market At this time, the insurance market is very turbulent with rate increases seen across the board. Insurance carriers are being much more strict when it comes to inspections and recommendations. Cancellation notices are being issued if the insured is not implementing the recommended action items and it would be a massive challenge to find cost-effective quotes if a business has to remarket mid-term.

So what can you do? In partnership with your insurance advisor, demon-

from page 18

hand sanitizers should be provided, and workers should be allowed ample time to wash their hands. The restaurant must hang posters encouraging physical distancing and hand sanitization in workplace areas where they are likely to be seen by workers. Other OSHA regulations that apply to restaurants must still be followed including maintaining restrooms accessible to guests and workers, including delivery workers, in a sanitary condition with hot and cold running water, individual towels or hand blowers, safety training for hazardous chemicals including cleaning solutions, and maintenance of material data safety data sheets and blood borne pathogen regulations as well as fire safety plans and training.

Complaints are expected to increase with rising COVID-19 cases during this current fourth wave.

OSHA complaints are public records and are available through Freedom of Information Act requests to your customers and the media alike. An

OSHA inspector may visit and inspect your business, and if a violation is found, impose a fine or order you to correct a violation by a specific deadline. OSHA violations are expensive and can be potentially damaging to the restaurant’s reputation. It is also important to know that anyone can file a complaint with OSHA, and complaints are generally filed anonymously.

Once received, the complaint must be posted at or near the place where each purported violation occurred, such as the rest room or dining area for at least three days and thus, may be visible to your employees and clientele. OSHA also posts its citations on dol.gov/newsroom, a government website available to the general public.

Failure to follow OSHA regulations and guidelines can have economic consequences for your restaurant. Be vigilant and prepared so when the agency comes knocking so you can avoid a potential citation and become OSHA’s next victim.

94 • May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

strate to the marketplace why they should want your business: • Proactive on safety to reduce potential for claims; • Proactive on contractual risk transfer; • Demonstrate property upgrades where possible, i.e., roof, electrical, plumbing, etc.; • Implement outstanding recommendations from previous insurance carrier inspections; • If not able to implement, be able to demonstrate and clearly explain the rationale for not doing so; • When implementing risk control measures, first consideration should be given to improvements that have the greatest influence on loss severity; • Regarding past losses, be prepared to explain corrective actions taken to prevent similar losses in the future.

Hurricanes can pose a major challenge for the hospitality industry. By taking the appropriate steps ahead

of time and working with the proper experts, hospitality companies can help to ensure that they can weather any storm. Review your policy with an experienced insurance advisor now to ensure that you have the coverages and policy limits that you need to be adequately protected before a storm strikes.

Visit HUB’s dedicated Hurricane Resource Center for timely updates and preparedness resources: https://www. hubinternational.com/products/riskservices/hub-crisis-resources/hurricane-resource-center/ 1. https://www.severe-weather.eu/ tropical-weather/atlantic-hurricaneseason-2021-forecast-mk/ 2. https://coast.noaa.gov/states/fastfacts/hurricane-costs.html 3. https://www.munichre.com/en/ solutions/for-industry-clients/natcatservice.html

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

CULINARY APPRENTICESHIPS most restaurants couldn’t afford in the past.

This same ebb and flow of labor has been seen in our restaurants over the past 30 years as well, and the Food Network has done for our chefs what Gault et Millau did for France. What’s different in the U.S. is that ethnic and regional cooking has really come into its own.

Fifty years ago, everyone knew a bit about the French, Italian and Chinese restaurants in their cities, but now there are hundreds of different types of restaurants from every nation in the world. Then, men cooked in restaurants and women cooked at home. Today you will find women in most of the top restaurants. More and more women are owning their own restaurants and most of the top pastry chefs are now women.

As we work our way to the reopening of our country, after the pandemic, what will the opportunities be for young people who want to enter the culinary industry?

In my early days, teaching for Le Cordon Bleu de Paris, (1969-1985) opportunities for a high school graduate to get a culinary education were extremely rare. Programs like those at the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales University and Monroe College were just in their infancy. If you didn’t go to a vocational high school with a culinary program, you started by washing dishes or setting tables,

CHEF MARY ATTEA

from page 22

two entry-level jobs that still exist today. Those lucky enough to start working for large hotels and resorts could participate in formal apprenticeship programs that prepared you well for a career in the kitchen.

In my view, the apprenticeship model was unknowingly dismantled when, in the 1970s or early ‘80s Sheraton Hotels decided to cut their expenses by basically letting their Executive Chefs go and elevating their Sous Chefs to Executive Chefs without the appropriate increase in salary. By doing this, their overhead was lowered and their bottom line improved, but it changed forever the apprenticeship process that had been in place for decades.

What the decision did, overnight, was to send a message to chefs, that loyalty to one’s employer was no longer valued. Other hotel chains like Marriott followed by cutting staff and outsourcing production.

Kitchens that once made stocks from scratch, butchered their own meat, cut their vegetables, made their own breads, pastries and desserts, now went to smaller staffs and more commercially produced products. Without the in-house staff to train the apprentices, hotels turned to the budding culinary school industry for their trained labor.

In the past year, during the pandemic, restaurants have closed, and many of the industry’s workers have moved on to other occupations. As

the country reopens there will be a demand for trained workers again.

Will we go back to culinary schools for this labor pool or will something new or different take shape?

One thing that has come out of this year of “distance learning” is an abundance of educational and instructional videos, like those from Rouxbe (http://rouxbe.com , https://www.masterclass.com/ categories/culinary-arts) and the Jacques Pepin Foundation (https:// jp.foundation/video-ser ies/ jacques-at-home-2020) all of which are excellent if you are self-motivated and a visual learner.

There are many colleges around the country, with culinary programs, but there are thousands of students graduating high school who are either not interested or ready to attend college. For them and the industry, a new form of apprenticeship might be the best way to train new workers.

At C-CAP, we have always provided scholarships to higher education (totaling $62 million since we were founded) but we also believe that if we can provide basic training to high school teachers and their students, making them of value to the industry, the industry should be willing to continue these students training on the job, just like they used to do in France. Recently, we have found many chefs who have worked with our graduates in the

past, interested in hiring committed students to train and retain as good and loyal workers. Investing in their futures is one way to do that. At its heart, C-CAP is a workforce development nonprofit committed to apprenticeships. We are planning to become a Registered Apprenticeship Program with the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship.

And we’ve already created a myriad of multi-sectoral partnerships with companies like Sodexo and large and small restaurant groups.

Finally, our new Earn to Learn Apprenticeship will be a grant-funded program, whereby our students are paid to apprentice, especially with those independent restaurateurs in lower-economic communities who were severely economically impacted by the pandemic. Our students get paid and experience, our chefs get free trainees. It’s a win-win.

Motivating young people to enter an industry that requires hard work and long hours has always been a challenge, but with the government spending money to develop new industries with higher paying jobs, the hospitality industry will face the same lack of labor the French chefs faced in the late 1960s. Raising entry-level wages, providing health insurance, vacation time and offering career training are things the industry needs to do to attract a new generation of dedicated and talented workers. And I think it starts with C-CAP.

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on a flat top to sear the skin and then use our RATIONAL for finishing. It has also become the centerpiece of our inhouse baking program with our signature sourdough bread. We can set the temperature and just load the bread in the oven and the RATIONAL does the rest of the work.

and the RATIONAL unit I can use them to cook a lot of different dishes including smoked salmon. Combi cooking has helped guide us. It has given us a lot of options when it comes to designing our menu, it has influenced how I am able to cook something or finish off certain dishes.

How has combi cooking enabled you to re-energize your menus?

I try not to let the oven direct how or what I cook, but with combi cooking

What’s your read on where we are headed with the impact of the RFF grant money on our industry?

I think it’s been a lifeline to so many

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restaurants that lost a considerable amount of income last year. I think the money is going back into getting the restaurants back above water, fixing equipment and paying the staff.

What’s your approach to building the team in The Musket Room kitchen?

I looked to build a team of people who care. I don’t care how much experience you have. If you have excitement and passion and want to learn, I want to teach you.

What do you see in the crystal ball?

Right now, we’re really excited because it feels like life is finally coming back. We set out to do a whole relaunch of the restaurant last year and that obviously got pushed aside.

We’re finally able to step into that role again and really define who we are as a team, as a restaurant and rewrite the story of the place.

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

FRANCINE COHEN

from page 60

operating in uncertainty as to what 2021 will actually shape up to be.”

Whatever shape it takes Underwood believes it’ll be a strong one and adds, “WSWA was the lead association in advocating for the inclusion of a full reinstatement of the deduction on business meals through December 31, 2022 in the latest proposed COVID relief package along with colleagues at the National Restaurant Association. We look forward to these businesses reopening in a safe and efficient manner this year!”

Efficiency is top of mind for many other operators. As is empathy. And a fresh approach. It’s hard to think of anyone who wasn’t negatively impacted by the shut down and getting back to business may look a bit different as outlined by Aaron Gregory Smith, Executive Director of the United States Bartenders Guild (USBG) who says,” As 700,000 of America’s bartenders step behind their bars again their return signals a perfect opportunity for a renewed approach at the sales process. Distributors are always encouraged to make appointments rather than stopping by and avoid connecting with buyers and staff during peak hours.”

He continues, “Accounts have had to reposition several times over the rotating closure, so take time to ask questions about their needs in the near and medium term by committing to an in-depth understanding of the account’s cocktail program and business philosophy. A little advance research on social media before meeting with that buyer on the other side of the shaker goes a long way to understanding the customer, the guests they serve and what will sell under reopening conditions.

While owners and managers are likely eager to move existing inventory, bartenders are also excited to be creating new cocktail menus and reconnecting with customers by highlighting great new products or rethinking uses for old favorites.”

Gabe Urrutia, who authored Miami’s first cocktail book and serves as a brand consultant calling on ac-

counts for Bacardi Single Malts when he isn’t in the classroom at Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management teaching Beverage Marketing & Distribution concurs, “With all the time and effort we have put fourth during these challenging times, a better prepared meeting would make a whole lot of sense.

Some sales consultants and suppliers alike set up a meeting just to see if something sticks. It would make a lot more sense to come more prepared, read the numbers, ask about a bar’s wants and needs and consult with the information you have gathered.”

And global bar consultant Shawn Soole feels similarly about what he needs from these relationships. He says, “For me, rep relations have always been about contact. I don’t care much about what LTO or new product you have. I just want a text every couple of weeks checking in and seeing if they can do anything for me. Setting a symbiotic relationship from the get-go is paramount for me.”

Ignoring the relationship building is a recipe for disaster, not only with Soole, but with others. Urrutia explains to his students, to create better future sales relationships, “Working for a distributor or supplier doesn’t mean you need to put everything in your portfolio everywhere. It means you are a consultant, and you look out for what fits best with respect to the establishment.”

Those establishments have been through a lot. And it can’t be ignored if you’re looking for a win-win from all your sales channels.

Just like appreciation for those perennial blossoms that bring beauty and a spring to your step every year do so in a familiar yet fresh new way, the evolution of the sales relationship is upon us. Michael Neff, who runs the Cottonmouth Club in Houston, concludes, “Quite frankly, there are many people who have started to think about our brand and distributor partners in a new way, considering how silent they were on our

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behalf throughout the course of the pandemic. I’m sure we’ll all get back to a working relationship in the future, and that there will be plenty of people who want nothing more than to pick up where we left off, but when thinking of our former partners, it will be remembered who showed up on our behalf and who didn’t. And, when the pandemic ends, it will be the people running a place again who get to choose who to support and who to not.”

New Sips to Know: As governors across the country used executive order powers to temporarily change liquor laws in place since prohibition and throw bars and restaurants a lifeline by offering an opportunity to sell to-go cocktails to their customers, a whole new market channel opened for RTDs and canned beverages. This cutie not only draws attention on a menu – a sure profit driver – but it tastes good too. And who wouldn’t

want to say they’ve got a cooler filled with the very first Irish whiskey in a can?! Check out Two Stacks: the Irish whiskey company reviving the tradition of independent blending and bottlings.

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

ITW/ENERGY STAR

from page 68

the Year—Sustained Excellence Award.

The EPA presents the Sustained Excellence Award to partners who have already received ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year recognition for a minimum of two consecutive years and have gone above and beyond the criteria needed to qualify for recognition.

Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped American families and businesses avoid more than $450 billion in energy costs and achieve over 4 billion metric tons of

FOOD WASTE FAIR

ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, a subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works, is the brand behind the brands found in commercial kitchens, cafeterias, bakeries, delis and groceries around the world. An ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2008, ITW Food Equipment Group embodies a family of premium brands including Ho-

bart, Traulsen, Baxter, Vulcan, Wolf, Berkel, Stero, Somat, Gaylord, Kairak and Peerless— covering nearly all your commercial food equipment needs, from food preparation and refrigeration to cooking, baking and ventilation to weighing and wrapping to dishwashing and waste disposal.

ENERGY STAR® is the governmentbacked symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-

informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500®— rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses avoid more than $450 billion in energy costs and achieve over 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions.

wasting precious resources, but also there are greenhouse gas emissions associated with food decomposing in a landfill, implications for climate change, etc.” Raskin concluded.

“Years one and two of this event, we were really kind of hammering in that message. And now we’ve got people riled up - both business owners and residents - looking for what they can do.”

The 2019 Fair highlighted the creativity of several New York City restaurants. This included the Rhodora Wine Bar on Adelphi Street in which operator Henry Rich committed to avoiding plastics and waste by cre-

ating a menu of delectable bar food that eliminated the creation of trash.

The Sanitation Foundation is the nonprofit arm of the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY).

Its mission is to facilitate publicprivate partnerships and partnerships between the DSNY and artists, entrepreneurs, residents, corporations, that all have a shared interest in making NYC a more sustainable place to live.

Information for attending or exhibiting at the 2021 edition of the NYC Food Waste Fair can be found at https://www.sanitationfoundation. org/foodwastefair.

deductions while also flagging errors when payroll is being run. That way, business owners save time by only having to review exceptions.

right talent while using that same technology to assess whether they are a good fit team for the role.

Similar technologies are driving to a more remote and paperless onboarding process - one that will minimize the need for excessive exposure by having newly hired employees ready to work on day one. Integrated payroll compliance makes sure that wage and labor information is entered once and that results are accurate and compliant..

Technology’s role in reducing administrative time, ramping up employees faster, and finding the best possible talent is helping to make the “old normal” new again.

from page 86

active toolkit that will live on for the rest of the year, at least,” the Sanitation Foundation Executive Director continued. “It won’t be this kind of one-day thing that you can only go to if you’re in the New York area, but something where you can log on, identify as a resident or a business owner and then get walked through the steps. We’re mirroring the EPA’s Food Waste Hierarchy, in terms of the best thing you can do is prevent waste.”

The Food Waste Toolkit bridges resources and organizations to assist restaurant owners with tasks such as inventory management and food re-

HIRING CHALLENGES

greenhouse gas reductions. Award winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners.

use and recovery. Residents can learn how to prevent food waste at home.

“That’s where we get to bring in our partners like the DSNY program, donateNYC , who is sort of a matchmaker between restaurants that have excess food and nonprofits serving their community. ,” Raskin noted.

Not only will users of the tookkit get an accessible instructional manual, but they also will receive access to a database of Sanitation Foundationapproved vendors.

“I think step one was awareness raising, which I think we’ve done a pretty good job over the years, of making it clear that not only are you

from page 8

of required paperwork. This also reduces the need for additional inperson visits to review all documentation.

Newly hired workers will have access to all required steps, due dates, and required documentation at their fingertips. They will even have access from a mobile device. Paperless onboarding solutions takes out the administrative burden of chasing down the right forms and documents. Once that employee finishes the process, they are ready to come to work.

Complying with Wage and Labor Regulations With each new employee being set at different pay rates, additional chal-

lenges such as overtime rates, tipped wages, split shifts, and more, are now becoming more efficient thanks to online tools.

Maintaining wage and labor compliance requirements is now simpler to do with the help of payroll systems that can automatically upload new hire information directly to the payroll system, making the process faster.

In helping the burden of reviewing payroll abnormalities and errors, like with wage adjustments, taxes, withholdings, an intelligent payroll system is key. Intelligence is a way of saying that the payroll system automatically has all variables needed to calculate for tips, tax, and benefit

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Making the “Old Normal” New Again It is an incredibly encouraging thought that this year, the food service industry will be able to move closer to normal and operate at their full potential. With that thought comes plenty of challenges to overcome. Hiring and onboarding a team back to normal levels can be a daunting and time-consuming exercise.

With new digital resources to help alleviate the burden, employers can streamline the process of finding the

May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 101

RESTAURANT DEPOT

from page 10

soup kitchen,” said General Manager of Restaurant Depot, Burt Diferio.

“We came up with a list of items that Samantha deemed necessary for the community, including things like flour, sugar, cereal, and other stable shelf-life items. The goal for each of these boxes is for the recipients to be able to support their families for a substantial amount of time without having to make compromises when it comes to health or money.

Samantha will then take these boxes to a storage facility where they will await delivery. We’ve also given Samantha a grant of ten thousand dollars for which she can use to continue supporting her food drive and soup kitchen organization.

Under the guidance of Restaurant Depot president Stanley Fleischman, the BluePrint/Geneva pro-

CHRISTY REUTER

gram most recent development in ‘Depot’s long history of community support. “Our goal has always been to take care of our customers to the best of our ability, so they in turn can do the same for theirs. We’re all about finding solutions for people, particularly in the midst of the pandemic,” said Diferio. Businesses everywhere have suffered due to the scarcity of many key ingredients and products, forcing operators to take hits to revenue and compromise in other facets of their business.

“The entire foodservice industry has been hit incredibly hard during this pandemic,” Diferio explained.

Many of the restaurants in our community have struggled to stay open and sadly, some of them have closed for good. Our mission here at Restaurant Depot, now and always,

has been to help the independent restaurant owner succeed by offering the right products at the right prices to our customers. We are here for our customers 7 days a week and we have no minimums, so a small operation or one who is slowly reopening, can come and pick up only what they need, when they need it.”

“During these hard times, we also have our public community to think about, and those who are dealing with food insecurities. Over the past year, Restaurant Depot has been working hand in hand with food banks and community organizations all over the nation to get food to people who need it. Teaming up with Chef Samantha and BluePrint seemed like a perfect fit for the Rochester Community.”

Restaurant Depot is a MembersOnly Wholesale Cash & Carry Foodservice Supplier. What began as a single store in Queens has grown into the nation’s leading cash & carry brand with stores from coast to coast. Our mission is to be your one-stop shop for Savings, Selection and Service, Seven Days a Week. ‘Depot stores have been supplying independent food businesses with quality products from large cash and carry warehouse stores since 1990. We became the leading low-cost alternative to other foodservice suppliers by eliminating the overhead of a traditional distributor, focusing on the needs of independent foodservice operators and offering free membership.

Learn more at https://www.restaurantdepot.com/

from page 30

What are your thoughts on the role of takeout & delivery in the survival of the industry?

Most of my clients didn’t focus on delivery before COVID. So, it wasn’t something they could easily adapt to moving forward. I think the smaller restaurants are the ones that found success with it. Many of my clients looked at the winter weather, the limits on indoor dining capacity and it simply didn’t make economic sense to turn the lights on. On top of that, when you start looking at the cost of third-party delivery and how little is brought to the bottom line, it wasn’t good business.

We’ve seen tremendous change in the role that fine dining plays in hotels.

It was a very hot market prior to COVID. With the challenges that hotels have had, it has changed dramatically.

I see all types of deals and opportunities for my clients to go into hotels.

At the top of my list of concerns is whether the hotel’s food and beverage are unionized. That makes bottom line profit a challenge. Hotel landlords

are offering all kinds of below market deals to entice high end operators with substantial budgets to build out the space. I will tell you that this really varies from market to market.

While New York City might be struggling right now to attract restaurants, there is absolutely nothing available in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami.

It seems as if every major restaurant brand in Manhattan has opened a restaurant in South Florida.

What are your thoughts on how a restaurant/hospitality owner should prepare for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) grant program?

I just attended a webinar with the SBA; with the website and phone lines about to go live, it’s time to make sure you have done the prep work. My advice is to get your financial information ready. It starts with a clear outline of your income and expenses and your PPP loan documentation. You need to be ready, because it is first-come-firstserved with no guarantee that there is enough funding for all the restaurants that qualify. Our MSF team can help you with the process.

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What’s your read on qualifying for the RRF? All applications will be taken but the first 21 days are going to be dedicated to socially disadvantaged groups such as Women and other minority-owned businesses and certain amount of funds are dedicated to businesses with gross receipts of $500,000 or less. There are three formulas used to calculate the amount of the grant depending on when the qualified business started operations. PPP funding will have to be deducted from gross receipts for purposes of the calculations. So for example, if XYX restaurant generated $8 mill in 2019 then $4 mill in 2020 and took $200,000 in PPP is entitled to apply for $3.8 million in grant funding that does not need to be paid back.

What can RRF funding be spent on?

To start the process, I think the place to begin is to get your personal finance house in order. If you have been lending money to your business in the ordinary course to stay afloat, you need to have a promissory note or other

form of loan document prepared by an accountant or attorney. That will enable you to pay yourself back from the RRF fund that you receive. You can use the grant funds for any expenses incurred in the ordinary course, but nothing should be used to “pre-pay” these obligations. My other suggestion is to use part of the funds to build out, complete or alter the outdoor structure that you may have built onto the sidewalk/street space that you have been given to use. Most importantly, the battle is on to keep top employees.

I suggest looking at the investment in whatever has to be done to ensure the highest quality customer experience that you’ve worked so hard to create.

Think about current expenses, you can pay this month’s lease with the funds but nothing going forward.

What’s the next step for an operator that wants more info on how MSF can help them through the application and use of proceeds process?

We are here to help. Just call us at (646) 755-3174 drop us an email at clr@msf-law.com or visit our website at meisterseelig.com

May 2021 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com • 103

Do you have a food waste solution?

We want to feature you. The Sanitation Foundation is launching a free new digital tool that helps both residents and businesses fight food waste.

Users can easily navigate the steps needed to reduce food waste before it starts, minimize their impact in the kitchen and reuse food scraps for a better planet and community. Users will gain access to both a comprehensive instructional manual and a directory of Sanitation Foundationapproved vendors.

Visit SanitationFoundation.org/toolkit