Wisconsin Restaurateur - Second Quarter 2012

The Magazine of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association

Info to Go:

Answers from the WRA Hotline Team • Summer school and teen work schedules • Paycheck deductions for breakage and errors • Workplace poster requirements • Employee time off for voting • Sales tax exemption

Craig and Lea Culver Culver Franchising System, Inc.

The Craft Cocktail Revolution

Second Quarter 2012 Vol 79 • No 2

www.wirestaurant.org www.WIrestaurant.org

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Restaurateur • Second Quarter 12

ACCESS your team of EXPERTS

Having the right information at the right time can save you money and headaches. You could try to find the answer for yourself, but WRA’s team of experts makes it easy.

No fees, no hassles.

Just answers to your questions.

Access the WRA Hotline

800-589-3211

hotline@wirestaurant.org www.wirestaurant.org

Second Quarter 12 • Wisconsin

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$2,500 in seed money from Reliable Water Services Professional cookware from Boelter Superstore Consultation package from MATC’s Entrepreneurship Center Private consultation with FaB Milwaukee’s Advisory Council Enter online at hotwater247.com. Entries will be judged by Wisconsin’s finest chefs, food business professionals and restaurateurs. The top three finalists will participate in a winner judging event this summer at MATC’s student-run restaurant Cuisine. Entries must include a short description of your culinary or food concept, your inspiration in developing it, what makes your concept unique and marketable, your ultimate goal regarding product distribution, and a photo of your concept or creation. Minimum age to enter is 18.

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George Flees, general manager of Parkside 23, highligh�ng fresh, local ingredients.

Andrew Paquin and Andrea Marquez‐Paquin, owners of La Luna, fresh, authen�c Mexican food products sold in select grocers’ freezers.

Restaurateur • Second Quarter 12

Lynn Sbonik, co‐owner of Beans & Barley, landmark deli, market and full‐service café.

T h e M a g a z i n e o f t h e Wi s c o n s i n R e s t a u r a n t A s s o c i a t i o n

10 Info to Go:

Second Quarter 2012

Answers from the WRA Hotline Team

Vol 79 • No 2

• Is the purchase of CO2 exempt from sales tax?

• Did another federal poster get revised recently?

• Can I deduct money from an employee’s paycheck when they make a costly mistake?

• Do I need a new work permit for a returning teen employee?

• Does summer school enrollment impact a teen’s work schedule?

• Are there guidelines for employees requesting time off to vote?

4 A La Carte 6 • Can I offer customers a discount for paying with cash?

Chairman’s Column 8 President and CEO’s Column estaurateurs of the ear raig and ea ulver 25 Hard work, family values and the entrepreneurial spirit are what drive 2012 Expo Competition Highlights Craig and Lea Culver. Their passion for quality food, good people and 28 doing right by their guests and the community has helped Culver’s become WRBN a powerhouse franchising system of more than 450 restaurants in 19 states.

32 The Back Burner he raft ocktail evolution • What are the rules about teens driving golf carts and using lawn and garden equipment?

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The craft of mixing fine cocktails is coming back. Drinks, their drinkers and the drink makers are getting more sophisticated as bartenders—or mixologists as they’re sometimes called—are using better ingredients, better tools and exploring classic and cutting-edge techniques.

Co-editors Tracy Kosbau & Kate Reiser Art Director Gary Cox

Visit us online at www.wirestaurant.org

Advertising Director Ryan Pettersen Managing Editor Gail Parr Circulation Director Dennis Hartman

Layout and Electronic Imaging Shane Sanders Printing W.D. Hoard & Sons Printing, Fort Atkinson, WI

The Wisconsin Restaurateur is the official publication of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.

Published quarterly by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association with editorial and executive offices at 2801 Fish Hatchery Rd., Madison, WI 53713. 800/589-3211. Postmaster: send address changes to Wisconsin Restaurateur, 2801 Fish Hatchery Rd., Madison, WI 53713. Periodicals postage paid at Madison, WI and additional offices. Publication number (USPS 688-540) ISSN 0274-7472.

Subscriptions: $17.50 annually; $8.00 per copy. Non-members $32.00 annually.

Second Quarter 12 • Wisconsin

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Scan the code to access past WR feature articles.

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A La Carte A S a v o r y S a m p l i n g o f R e s t a u r a n t N e w s a n d Tr e n d s

• More than a third (37 percent) of consumers have broadened their definition of snacks to include more types of foods, beverages and restaurant fare.

• Impulse purchases of snacks are up from two years ago. Sixty-two percent reported that most of the snacks they purchased for away-from-home consumption were impulse purchases.

• More than 33 percent of consumers expect to eat more healthful snacks in the coming year, indicating greater importance for operators to offer and promote better-for-you snacks.

British Diners Choosing “No Choice” Restaurants

WRBN They’re So Good Together

They may seem like an unlikely pair, but beer and chocolate is proving to be the new pairing darling of the food and beverage world. Food and beer enthusiasts are finding that beer paired with chocolate can be quite delightful. Keep in mind, not all beers pair well with chocolate. However, with the wide range of beers available today, there are many beers that are the perfect complement with the decadent sweetness of chocolate.

At the 2012 Wisconsin Restaurant Expo, Grant Holtackers of Tenth and Blake Beer Co. and Julie Waterman of Indulgence Chocolatiers treated attendees to a tasty and frothy beer and chocolate pairing seminar.

Roundtable

Snack Attack

Consumers are snacking more now than they were just two years ago according to a recent study by Technomic. The research and consulting firm found that almost half (48 percent) of consumers polled say they’re now snacking at least twice a day, compared to 25 percent in 2010.

Restaurants are capitalizing on the growing snacking occasion by offering quick, portable, smaller-portioned, low-priced food and drink in a myriad of ways to continue gaining share of snack purchases.

Restaurants now claim 22 percent of consumers’ snacking occasions, up from 17 percent in 2010.

Other interesting findings from Technomic’s survey include: • Major chains are using late-night hours to promote value-oriented snack items and bar plates to cater to younger customers who visit more often for late-night snacks.

Hotline Q&A

• The mini sandwich, slider or wrap has evolved from a simple snack item to a downsized gourmet version of signature full-sized offerings.

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The latest craze to hit the London dining scene is the “no choice” restaurant where diners get little or no choice in what they are served. At the Ten Bells pub in London’s Spitalfields, Chefs James Lowe and Isaac McHale serve up a four course meal with a few snacks for the flat price of £39. The upside of serving every diner the same thing is pretty obvious: less waste and having the luxury of time and effort being spent on perfecting just one meal. The negative side is equally obvious: having customers pay for a meal that they might not like. Time will tell whether the “no choice” trend will catch on or if diners will choose to go where they have a choice.

Source: The Economist

Students Latch onto a Growing Trend

The trend to buy local and even grow your own produce has taken hold in the restaurant industry in Wisconsin. To stay current with what’s going on in the industry, students in the culinary arts program at Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac are growing their own produce.

Students and staff wanted to use more homegrown ingredients instead of buying them, so they now have an indoor garden and an aquaponic system that combines a fish tank with growing plants. The technical college started the program in the fall of 2011. Rational Solutions for Farming donated two LED lights and helped them get started.

Since graduates will likely become chefs, the program helps them gain a better understanding of where their food comes from, how to find the freshest ingredients and related food safety issues. WR

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W R A B o ar d Directors

o f

Executive Committee

Chairman

Looking Forward

by Lynn McDonough Connell’s Restaurants, Eau Claire

I

am elated and excited to be your new Chairman. First of all, I must thank the WRA board and especially Dale Leffel of the Belvedere Supper Club in Marshfield for this honor. Dale appointed me to the WRA Executive Committee and from there I advanced to Chairman.

Being on the WRA Board is a great learning experience and a great challenge.

I want members to know that their board is a very active board. There are over forty of us representing every area of the state and every type of restaurant. We meet four times a year and typically the first two days are spent in committee meetings and the third day is a full board meeting. There is fun involved and we become good friends, but there is a lot of work to do as policies are made.

I would like to share a little bit about myself. I am from the West Wisconsin Chapter of the WRA which is located in the Chippewa Falls / Eau Claire area. I got into the business in 1988.

Like a lot of restaurateurs, my friends encouraged me to buy a supper club.

The name of the restaurant was Connell’s Supper Club. This was the real deal—an old fashioned supper club with relish trays, home-made onion rings and large portions of steaks and seafood. I bought the place on a shoestring. I was able to get a bank loan with help from a friend after initially putting down a $1,000 deposit. On April Fool’s Day of 1988 I became a scared owner of a restaurant really not knowing the restaurant business. I must have done something right, because I now own three restaurants.

Right from the beginning, I knew I couldn’t do this by myself so I joined WRA and I immediately found that I had a valuable partner. WRA provided instant service. I could call the “hotline” for answers on laws and regulations and referrals. WRA really has my back to when it comes to changing, stopping or passing laws. WRA helps you, me and all restaurateurs in many ways.

My local West Wisconsin Chapter has also been very important to me. The chapter has given me a chance to work with a great group of restaurant people. As an officer of the chapter, I am proud of the chapter’s success. The networking has been invaluable. Our chapter has accomplished a lot but I’d like to mention one thing in particular. We worked together to raise and donate $25,000 to the WRA Education Foundation Endowment Fund so scholarships can be awarded to individuals—which can make a great difference in the restaurant business and help the industry move forward.

I would like to set a few goals for my year as your chairman. The first is to continue the successful membership recruitment drive spearheaded by my predecessor Mary Rowley from the Goose Blind in Green Lake and former membership committee chair Terry Bolland from Summertime Restaurant in Fish Creek. This has been a board effort so far, but I would invite all chapters and WRA members to take up the cause—you must believe in WRA or you wouldn’t belong. If you would be so kind and ask another restaurateur to become a member of the WRA, it would be great. We can grow our membership at a good rate. Numbers count and membership is our lifeblood.

Another goal of mine is to encourage WRA and the chapters to provide more ways for members to network. If we all get together, we can make an even larger impact. Related to that is my third goal which is strengthening weak chapters and revitalizing non-existent chapters. With some hard work and good ideas, we can get more of our members involved!

In closing, I just want to give everyone a big thank you! I could not do this without help from my entire staff and my family.

God bless.

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Chairman of the Board Lynn McDonough Connell’s Restaurants, Eau Claire Vice Chairman of the Board/Chairman Elect Charlie Gray Culver’s Frozen Custard, Rothschild Treasurer Ada Lara Thimke Lara’s Tortilla Flats, Oshkosh President & CEO Ed Lump, fmp Wisconsin Restaurant Association, Madison Immediate Past Chairman Mary Rowley, fmp Goose Blind, Green Lake Steve Schilling ZaZING!, North Prairie Chico Pope Buckhorn Supper Club, Milton Dennis Heyde Fanny Hill, Eau Claire The board of directors is comprised of restaurant operators from around the state and industry supplier representatives. The board directs the WRA staff and sets the policies of the Association.

W R A E d u c at i o n F o u n d a t i o n B o ar d of Directors Executive Committee Chairman of the Board Steve Davis, FMP Ardy & Ed’s Drive-In, Oshkosh Chairman Elect Larry Deutsch The Vollrath Company, Stoughton Treasurer Michael K. Tsuchihashi MMM Concepts, Milwaukee Secretary/Executive Officer Ed Lump, fmp Wisconsin Restaurant Association, Madison Immediate Past Chairman Keith Blew Talula, Madison WRA Chairman of the Board Lynn McDonough Connell’s Restaurants, Eau Claire R.C. Schroeder, Jr. Big Tomatoes, Green Bay Rhoda Steffel Mark's East Side, Appleton The Foundation board of directors is comprised of approximately 30 individuals who are foodservice operators, educators and industry suppliers.

The board directs the WRA EF staff and sets the policies of the Foundation.

Visit www.wirestaurant.org for a complete listing of board members.

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President & CEO

Speaking Out Matters

by Ed Lump, FMP WRA President and CEO

WRA Board of Directors

M

artin Luther King is quoted as saying: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

With that in mind, I’ve decided to speak out about something that matters­—recall elections.

I get it. Some people are very angry with Governor Walker and several Republican state senators over public employee collective bargaining reforms. Others, who may not be as angry, just see a great opportunity for their political party to regain power without waiting for the regular general elections for the Legislature (Fall of 2012) or Governor (Fall of 2014). To that end, we have already had nine recall elections. Seven failed and two were successful.

This recent idea of recalling elected officials over a single vote, while allowed by the Wisconsin Constitution, all started with a successful attempt in 1996 to recall Senator George Petak from Racine over his broken promise to not vote for a 1/10% sales tax to help pay for the construction of Miller Park (by the way, who doesn’t like Miller Park and the Brewers?). Petak was defeated by a vote of 51-49 percent, and that recall election did successfully change the balance of power in the state Senate, from 17-16 Republican control to 17-16 Democratic control.

There is a difference, however. That recall was over a broken promise. These recalls are over promises kept. I say this because for most of my career, I have heard the mantras from members and others: “Why can’t politicians ever say what they will do and then do it?” or “Why won’t they take the ‘tough vote’?”

Well, here you have a group of elected representatives that said they would balance the state budget and not raise state taxes. They also said they would not shift the taxes to local governments without giving them the flexibility (tools) to balance their budgets. They said they would not “kick the can” down the road anymore. Then, they kept their promises. They took the tough votes.

Vilification and recall were their rewards. Apparently, we didn’t mean it. Apparently, we never thought they would take the tough votes; we just enjoyed complaining. We really wanted higher taxes and smoke and mirrors and all the regular stuff politicians do to look as if they are solving problems.

Well, I’m here to speak out. If these recalls are successful, it will be a generation or more before any elected official takes a tough vote in this state. Politicians on both sides will no longer even pretend to follow their constituents’ wishes. All that will count is keeping the most powerful special interests happy— and keeping their jobs.

Rutherford B. Hayes (R 1876) was a mostly unpopular president with both his party and the opposition. Democrats considered him a fraud (won a contested election similar to Bush-Gore in 2000) and Republicans considered him a “RINO” (Republican-in-name-only) because he was a progressive. He inherited a congress controlled by the other party. To try to get things done he coined the phrase “He serves his party best who serves his country best.” Use of that phrase at the “bully pulpit” did not raise his popularity but it did enable him get a lot of both progressive and conservative legislation passed.

In Wisconsin, we are in danger of losing any semblance of any politician serving Wisconsin best. Recall elections over policy votes are a threat to our very system of government, and were not the intention of the lawmakers who created them.

It is interesting to note that since the Wisconsin Constitution was amended in 1926 to allow recalls for state legislators, up until summer of 2011, there has been much controversial legislation passed, and yet we have only had four recalls and only one (Petak in 1996) was because of a policy vote. Now, in less than a year we will have had fifteen recalls, all on policy votes.

Something to think about when you vote on June 5, 2012.

God bless Wisconsin and God bless America.

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Participating at the local level is a great way to get involved with WRA and network with others in the foodservice industry.

Visit www.wirestaurant.org for a comprehensive chapter map and listing (Click on Connections/Local Chapter Contacts).

Big Four Chapter Bruce Petrie Fox Banquets Rivertyme Catering Appleton (920) 756-3244 Blackhawk Chapter Chico Pope Buckhorn Supper Club Milton (608) 868-2653 Door-Kewaunee Chapter Doris Thorn (area representative) Roadhouse of Downtown Carlsville Sturgeon Bay (920) 743-4966 Eastern Shore Chapter Scott Trempe Bourbon Street Sheboygan (920) 458-1779 Green Bay Chapter Jay Gosser Legends DePere (920) 336-8036 La Crosse Chapter Tina Tryggestad The Cheese Corner La Crosse (608) 790-2912 Lake-To-Lake Chapter Joan Cunningham Schreiner's Restaurant Fond du Lac (920) 922-0590 Madison Chapter Brad Hammen Outback Steakhouse Madison (608) 241-0851 Milwaukee Chapter Sue Boehler Dunkin Donuts Menomonee Falls (262) 373-1799

Restaurateur • Second Quarter 12

Northeast Chapter Amy Shaffer Shaffer Supper Club Crivitz (715) 854-2184 Northwoods Chapter Mike Pitzo (area representative) Polecat & Lace Minocqua (715) 356-3335 St. Croix Chapter Sheena Peterson Valley House Hudson (715) 549-6255 South Central Chapter Todd Baker Eagle Inn of Sauk Prairie Prairie du Sac (608) 643-4516 Southeast Chapter Dick Rudin (area representative) House of Gerhard Kenosha (262) 694-5212 Vacationland Chapter Timothy Tyler Nick’s Family Restaurant Spooner (715) 635-3129 West Wisconsin Chapter Joanne Palzkill Draganetti’s Ristorante Altoona (715) 834-9234 Wisconsin River Valley Chapter Don Thompson Red Mill Supper Club Stevens Point (715) 341-7714

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Info to Go Q u e s t i o n s a n d A n s w e r s A b o u t R e s t a u r a n t B u s i n e s s f r o m t h e W R A H o t l i n e Te a m C a l l 8 0 0 . 5 8 9 . 3 2 1 1 • Vi s i t w w w. w i r e s t a u r a n t . o r g

by Kate Reiser

Q: A:

Can the gas we use in soda and beer be considered exempt from sales tax?

Yes, CO2 is exempt. You can provide a fully completed sales and use tax exemption certificate (Form S-211 or S-211-SST) to your supplier when purchasing CO2 used to make tap beer and fountain soda that you sell in your restaurant. Your purchase is an exempt purchase for resale. Additionally, any charges the CO2 supplier makes to you for the cylinder are also exempt from sales and use tax. To obtain the forms visit www.revenue.wi.gov and click on Forms.

Q:

I just received my annual HERO update packet with some new and revised posters, but I also got a notice from one of those companies saying that a federal poster just changed—do I need that poster?

A:

Here’s the scoop…we’ve probably all gotten those official-looking mailings that give the impression that they are a government agency that will bust you if you don’t spend $100+ on their posters. There is a bit of truth in what they are saying though: Yes, the federal “Employee Polygraph Protection Act” poster was recently revised (January 2012) but the version that WRA members have in their Labor Law Poster Pack with the date of June 2003 at the bottom of the poster is still valid. The US Department of Labor website still has the 2003 poster available and issued this statement “please note that the June 2003 revision of the Employee Polygraph Protection Act Poster is still valid and employers may continue to post them.”

Yes, you must display the posters in the workplace where employees can easily see them.

However, it is not true that you must pay their expensive prices. Don’t let their threats of fines and jail time intimidate you!

You mentioned receiving your annual HERO update packet which contained three posters. One was the pink laminated copy of the Wisconsin’s Hours Minors May Work poster which reflects the changes made last summer to teen labor regulations. A large, 11” x 17” paper copy of the new National Labor Relations Act poster was included.

The effective date for that poster was supposed to be April 30. At the time the packet was sent we weren’t sure if it was going to actually be mandated because there was a pending lawsuit so we opted not to laminate it. We just learned that a federal court has pushed back the NLRB poster effective date indefinitely—we’ll update you when more information is available. Finally, a white paper copy of WRA’s teen labor information was included as a supplement. It is not a required workplace poster; it merely provides clarification on state and federal teen labor laws.

If you’re not sure that you’ve kept your original WRA poster pack up-to-date, or would like an additional set, you can order the entire pack for $25 (plus sales tax) or download a set free of charge from the link to the Department of Workforce Development website in the Members Only section of the WRA website. Keep in

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mind that not every employer must display every poster. Check the posting requirements page in your HERO or the chart on the DWD website.

Q:

Recently a server had a really bad run. She dropped a tray of plates earlier in the week, calculated a check incorrectly and bungled opening an expensive bottle of wine by getting cork pieces in it. Can I deduct money from her paycheck to recoup some of this money that her carelessness has cost us?

A:

You need to be careful about using paycheck deductions as a disciplinary measure. Whenever a deduction is made for breakage or errors on the job, the employee needs to give written permission prior to the deduction. No blanket agreements are permitted because the employee must give permission on a case-by-case basis.

If the employee offers to cover the cost of a breakage or error out of pocket, this is considered a voluntary action, but owners must use caution when deducting money from paychecks.

Employers whose restaurants are covered by federal AND state law need to be aware that the employee’s pay can’t be brought below the minimum wage (currently $7.25/hr.). Employee’s tips may not be taken as payment for a breakage or error. Deductions may only be taken from the employee’s actual base wages in excess of $7.25 an hour.

For businesses subject to Wisconsin law only, tips may not be taken as payment for breakage or error, but there is no maximum amount that can be taken from the actual base wages. Again,

Restaurateur • Second Quarter 12

Info to Go written permission is required for both tipped and non-tipped employees.

If an employee makes a huge and costly blunder, like dropping an entire tray of expensive dishes, you can approach her and see if she will agree to have money withheld from future paychecks to cover a percentage of the loss. If the employee refuses to allow this, you must find another way to discipline her. Remember, the disciplinary action (up to and including termination) must be about the employee’s negligence or carelessness, and shouldn’t be about their refusal to pay for any of the damage. As always, it is important to keep accurate records in personnel files.

Breakage/error employee permission slips are available in your HERO manual and in the Members Only section of the WRA website.

While deducting money from paychecks is permissible in some situations, you need to follow the proper guidelines and should not use this approach as a disciplinary cure-all.

Q:

One of our teen workers from last summer, who hasn’t been working for us during the school year, contacted me and said she’d like to return to work in our restaurant this summer. Do I need to get her to fill out a new work permit?

A:

If a teen leaves your employment and then returns, the original work permit will still be valid as long as you employ her in the same position, even if it has not been continuous employment. Remember, all minors under the age of 18 must have a work permit prior to beginning work!

Here are some reminders from Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development (DWD) about work permits: • A work permit is required before anyone under the age of 18 is allowed to work in any job (with the exception of agriculture or domestic service work).

• Employers must have a work permit on file for the minor being employed before they allow the minor to begin work.

• Work permits are issued at various locations throughout the state. In many communities, work permits may be obtained at the local high school.

Call DWD at 608-266-6860 to learn where in your area minors may apply continued on page 12

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Info to Go

continued from page 11 for a work permit.

• The permit will not be issued if the work is prohibited by law.

• To obtain a work permit, the minor must have: 1. Social security card 2. Proof of age—birth certificate, baptismal record, driver’s license or state issued identification card 3. Letter from the employer stating the intent to employ the minor along with the job duties, hours of work and time of day the minor will be working 4. Letter from the minor’s parent, guardian or court-ordered foster parent while the minor is under their care and supervision, consenting to the employment—as an alternative, the parent, guardian or foster parent may countersign the employer’s letter 5. Statutory permit fee ($10). The employer is required to pay the permit fee. If the minor advances the fee, the employer shall reimburse the minor not later than the minor’s first paycheck 6. Address of school that the minor attends or the name of the school district

or permitted to work during hours of required school attendance. Since summer school is not compulsory, you don’t have to worry about “required school attendance” during the summer months.

Here’s a quick refresher on summer hours for 16- and 17-year-olds: • They may bus tables, wash dishes, or wait tables provided they do not serve, sell, dispense or give away alcoholic beverages.

• They may cook but may not use a meat slicer, grinder or heavy bakery equipment.

• They must have 8 hours of rest between the end of one shift and the start of the next shift if employed after 11:00 p.m.

• They may work 7 days a week.

• They may work an unlimited number of hours in a day, but must be paid overtime for any hours over 10 in a day, even if they work less than 40 hours in the week.

• They must receive a 30-minute meal break if working more than 6 hours.

The break may be unpaid.

Q:

One of my 16-year-old employees is enrolled in summer school at the local high school. Does this impact the hours that he can work this summer?

Q:

A:

A:

No. You may schedule this employee using the same guidelines you would for any other teen during the summer months (of course, you’ll need to work around the hours that he is attending classes). The Department of Workforce Development treats summer school differently because it is not compulsory under the Department of Public Instruction’s statutes dealing with required education. Remember that the laws governing 16- and 17-year-olds changed last summer and there are no federal laws applying to scheduling of these teens. All employers should follow the state laws.

As of July 1, 2011 state and federal laws do not limit the hours that minors 16 years of age or over may work except that they may not be employed

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The employer may decide when the leave is taken.

Section 6.76 (Time off for voting) in the Wisconsin Statutes, reads as follows in legalize: (1) Any person entitled to vote at an election is entitled to be absent from work while the polls are open for a period not to exceed 3 successive hours to vote. The elector shall notify the affected employer before election day of the intended absence.

The employer may designate the time of day for the absence.

(2) No penalty, other than a deduction for time lost, may be imposed upon an elector by his or her employer by reason of the absence authorized by this section.

(3) This section applies to all employers including the state and all political subdivisions of the state and their employees, but does not affect the employees’ right to holidays existing on June 28, 1945, or established after that date.

With the recall election coming up, I’m pretty sure some of my employees will ask for time off to vote.

Are there any laws or guidelines for employees about voting?

Essentially, employees in Wisconsin are entitled to up to three hours’ leave to vote. Employees must request the leave before Election Day. The employee’s pay can be deducted for the time away from work.

Q: A:

What are the rules governing teens driving golf carts on the job?

It’s most likely that your business is subject to both federal and Wisconsin law. In that case the federal law is more restrictive. Under federal law, only employees age 16 and older may drive golf carts at work. They absolutely may not drive the carts on public roads.

They may not go on any public roads and don’t need a driver’s license to operate the cart.

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Info to Go If your business is subject to Wisconsin law only, teens age 14 and older may drive golf carts. As with the federal guidelines, no driver’s license is required and the teens must stay on the golf course with the carts.

If you are uncertain whether you are subject to just Wisconsin law or both state and federal law, you may refer to the Laws and Regulations section in your HERO manual, visit our website (wirestaurant.org) or call the Hotline Team at 800-589-3211 for clarification.

Q:

use. As with the teens in golf carts, the 16- and 17-year-olds operating riding lawn mowers may not use them on public roads.

In this case, both federal and state laws are the same—yes to 16- and 17-year-olds, no to 14- and 15-year-olds.

A:

Q:

While we’re talking about teens and summer jobs…What about teens using lawn mowers and weed wackers?

Lawn mowers and weed wackers are in the Department of Workforce Development’s category of “lawn and garden equipment, including power-driven mowers or cutters and sidewalk type snow blowers.” This type of equipment is off limits for 14- and 15-yearolds, but OK for 16- and 17-year-olds to

We are considering raising our menu prices and are anticipating some negative feedback from customers.

To cushion the blow of price hikes, we’d like to offer customers a cash discount. Is that prohibited?

A:

You can offer discounts to customers paying with cash, checks

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or debit cards. It’s OK to offer a discount for cash, but not OK to charge an extra fee if a customer pays with a credit card. If that just confused the issue for you—you can think of it this way…you can’t list an item on your menu for $15 and then charge a customer $17 if they pay with a credit card. However, you can have a policy explaining that customers paying cash will receive a 10 percent discount (or however you want to work it). This policy should be conveyed to customers prior to their transaction. WR

WRA’s Hotline Team is available to answer your questions about the day-to-day operation of your business including the most current laws and regulations. If we don’t have the answer at our fingertips we’ll research it for you. Call us at 800-589-3211 or email hotline@wirestaurant.org. This helpful membership service is quick and confidential.

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Craig and Lea Culver honored as the Restaurateurs of the Year

by Mary Lou Santovec

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ard work, family values and the entrepreneurial spirit are what drive Craig and Lea Culver.

Those characteristics, as well as support for the restaurant industry, led the couple to be named the Wisconsin Restaurant Association’s 2012 Restaurateurs of the Year. They were presented with the award by Bill von Rutenberg (the 2011 Restaurateur of the Year) at the WRA Awards Dinner on March 13th. Over the past 28 years, the Culvers have grown one restaurant in Sauk City into a powerhouse franchising system of more than 450 restaurants in 19 states.

The story of Culver’s actually begins some five decades ago with Craig’s late parents, George and Ruth, who in 1961, were looking for an opportunity to return to Sauk City after a job move. They discovered an old A&W Restaurant located at 716 Phillips Blvd. and put in an offer to purchase it.

The whole family committed themselves to making the restaurant a success. Craig and his brother, Curt, washed mugs; sister, Georgia, was a carhop.

“Talk about entrepreneurship!” said Craig. “There was no training. My parents took quite a risk and ended up being quite successful at it [because] they surrounded themselves with good people.”

From the A&W, the senior Culvers soon took over the Farm Kitchen Resort at Devil’s Lake State Park. Under George and Ruth, the resort’s menu was country gourmet cuisine. “Nothing came out of The old A&W Restaurant on Highway 12 in Sauk City is where the original Culver’s stands today a can,” he said. “It was all made from scratch.” continued on page 16 14

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continued from page 14 The Farm Kitchen also proved fortuitous for Craig and Lea. Growing up in Reedsburg, Lea, who attended University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, also worked at the Farm Kitchen.

George and Ruth “didn’t know they were hiring their future daughter-inlaw,” said Lea. Meanwhile, Craig was studying biology at the University of WisconsinOshkosh. After graduation, George asked Craig to become the Farm Kitchen’s general manager, an offer he declined. So the restaurant was sold and Craig started looking for a job.

Unsure about his career path, Craig signed on to work at a Madison area McDonald’s where he “learned a lot about foodservice, especially the systems approach and the financial end of the business.” But the desire to have his own business wasn’t far from his mind.

In 1976, he asked his father for money to buy back the A&W. The two couples ran it for the next six years with Craig getting a hands-on education about the challenges of being an owner. George and Ruth helped out with “financial support and through sweat equity.”

In 1982, when the A&W attracted the attention of a buyer, the Culvers sold it and bought the Ritz Supper Club in Baraboo. Two years later when the buyer of the A&W lost interest, the Culvers took back the drive-in and

Craig’s parents, George and Ruth, were known for their commitment to quality and warm hospitality

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decided to “defranchise” it.

Opening the first Culver’s Restaurant in 1984, Craig, Lea, George and Ruth waited for guests to show up. They knew they had a good product, a good location and the right price point. But the locals weren’t sure what to make of the newcomer. “Ever thrown a party and nobody came?” Craig asked. “Without the support of my parents, we never would have made it that first year.” “It helped that we were in a community that didn’t want to see us fail,” Lea added.

ButterBurgers, those lightly toasted and buttered buns that frame a hamburger or cheeseburger, and the ever-so-tempting frozen custard were as foreign to the locals as Pad Thai and crème brulee. But with time, those menu items have become more popular than the salad bar, soups and signature root beer that were on the original menu.

“Our menu had to be large,” Craig explained. “We had to attract all types in rural Wisconsin.”

Under those iconic blue rooftops lies an amalgam of the original A&W, McDonald’s, the Ritz Supper Club and the Farm Kitchen with a few significant tweaks. With their new restaurant, what the Culvers did was take part of the traditional supper club menu and morph it into quickservice.

The concept eventually became a

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hit. And people who wanted to be a part of it approached the Culvers for the rights to open a franchise. “Dad and I were so excited [someone wanted to do that] that we gave the first one away,” said Craig. “If you give something for nothing, it has no value. You want something to have value.”

The first franchise ended in failure, souring Craig on further franchising.

But time does heal some wounds and a now-required, 16-week training program ensures that the franchise partner is committed to the business.

“What really sets us apart from a lot of other restaurants is that we mandate franchisees to be owneroperators, not just investors,” he said.

This automatically eliminates the callers from foreign countries who only want to invest in a franchise. Craig explained: “I believe in owners. I think that’s how we get quality and best serve our guests.”

Culver’s does not market the franchise option. “We open restaurants,” he said. “That’s our marketing tool; just like how we grow our own business by taking care of customers.”

The first successful franchise opened in 1990 in Baraboo and Craig remembers the first order: 20 grilled chicken breasts and 20 ButterBurgers for Baraboo Sysco. Number 450, opened in April in Avondale, Arizona. “My hope

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Success, Community and Commitment to the Industry

The Wisconsin Restaurant Association Restaurateur of the Year (ROY) is selected by the winner’s peers, making it a very special award. Past ROY award recipients consider three criteria when awarding this honor. The criteria are described below.

Waupaca Eating Smart.

Success within the recipient’s own foodservice operation.

Participation and service to the foodservice industry and the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.

Clearly this has been attained by the Culvers by staying true to their commitment to doing what’s right for guests, “team members,” franchisees and family. Having been named #1 Burger Chain in the country by Restaurants & Institutions annual Consumers’ Choice in Chains Awards, this Wisconsin-grown business has achieved incredible success across the country.

Despite their demanding schedules, both Lea and Craig remain actively involved in the WRA and WRA Education Foundation. Lea served as Chair of the WRA Education Foundation and Craig served on the WRA state board of directors. They both served as Wisconsin Restaurant Lea presenting medals to winners at the Expo chairs and were committed 2006 ProStart Invitational Participation in community and to bringing fun and energy to the civic activities.

Expo. The Culvers have endowed The Culvers have shown strong a scholarship through the WRA commitment and dedication to their Education Foundation and have community, offering support for a been consistent champions and variety of non-profit organizations major sponsors of the ProStart® high and causes. Craig serves as a board school culinary and management member for the University of program. Active advocates for Wisconsin Oshkosh Foundation, our industry, Craig and Lea have the Bank of Prairie du Sac and participated in Restaurant Lobby Day Kwik Trip. He is also Chair for at the state capitol and the National the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Restaurant Association Public Forward Campaign and is active in Affairs Conference in Washington, the Wisconsin Professional Golfers’ D.C. They have been visible and Association, taking a leadership Craig walking up to the state capitol with restaurant vocal supporters of the benefits that role in furthering the game of golf industry colleagues for Restaurant Lobby Day in 2009 membership in the WRA offers for juniors. In addition to her role and have actively encouraged their as Executive Director of Culver’s franchisees to participate. Together VIP Foundation, Inc., Lea serves they received their chapter’s Outstanding Restaurateur of the on the Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital Foundation Board and Year award. Additionally, Culver Franchising System, Inc. has the American Family Children’s Hospital Advisory Board. made an exemplary commitment to food safety through the Culver Franchising System, Inc. also lent their support for a ServSafe® program. community-based pilot program in the city of Waupaca called is that in 2013, we’ll open our 500th restaurant,” he said. If the economy holds, Culver expects to be back to the 40 openings a year they had prior to the Great Recession.

Racking up numbers of franchises and national coverage aren’t big motivators; organic growth is. “My ultimate goal is to stay in business,” said Craig, with Lea adding: “Dad would say, it’s not how many you have, it’s how many good ones you have.”

Now the leader in the frozen custard business, the big question for Culver’s is “How do we stay current, looking young and relevant?” said Craig. Lea chimed in adding, “And how do we continue to attract good people?”

One way of remaining relevant is by developing new products. Jim Doak, head of the company’s research and development arm, leads the culinary team in dreaming up new temptations, taste-testing them on employees at

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the home office. Some of the trials eventually make the menu; others are sent back to the proverbial drawing board. A gym in the lower level of the Culver’s Support Center in Prairie du Sac helps ameliorate the calories.

Then there’s the issue of the buildings. Some of the restaurants are reaching their second decade and are due for an overhaul. The original cafeteria style dining rooms are being

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continued from page 17 remodeled. In some cases, the iconic blue roof is being replaced with blueand-white striped awnings. Newly built structures are faced with stone instead of siding. In Baraboo, a new building was built to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) specifications.

The Blue Spoon Café was a concept that produced mixed results.

Opening first in Prairie du Sac in 2000, Craig thought it would be a way for franchisees to expand their businesses.

But another trial location in Middleton changed his mind. “The one and only will be in Prairie du Sac,” Craig confirmed.

Growing up in rural Wisconsin, the Culvers understand the importance of community and giving back. Lea currently heads up the company’s VIP Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. “It’s about doing the right thing and helping as many as you can,” said Lea. The foundation focuses on three areas: a scholarship program for student employees, a Day of Giving and the company’s charitable giving program. The scholarship program, the “cornerstone” of the company’s philanthropic efforts, has awarded $1.8 million in funds since 1993.

Through the Day of Giving, the company’s restaurants have collectively

raised more than $3 million for various causes. Culver’s charitable giving supports programs and projects for education, children, hunger relief and health care. The foundation board meets quarterly to consider requests.

The company has also donated its former headquarters to the village of Prairie du Sac for a library that is planned to open this June. It will be named after Craig’s mother, Ruth.

Married 37 years, the Culvers have managed to strike a healthy balance between the needs of work and family life, although they admit it hasn’t always been easy. “We are a team,” said Lea. “We don’t always agree, but we support each other on things.”

They raised three daughters, Brittany, Mandy and Chelsea. When the children were young, Lea split her time between home and business, focusing on the operations side.

Meanwhile Craig was the hands-on, on-site manager doing whatever needed to get done. Like Craig and his siblings, the granddaughters of George and Ruth also worked in the family business while they were in high school.

The Culvers’ participation in the Wisconsin Restaurant Association goes back 40 years to George and Ruth who were active in their local WRA chapter.

Craig and Lea (center) with daughters (L-R) Brittany, Mandy and Chelsea

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Culver Franchising System’s new home office and support center in Prairie du Sac

Craig and Lea consider the organization a benefit to the industry. “WRA is our lobbying arm,” said Craig. “A lot of chains have their own lobbying arms today, but we do not. WRA keeps us in front of all the governmental issues going on.” “In addition, the WRA EF scholarship and mentoring programs help develop future leaders in the industry,” added Lea. Not only WRA, but many other organizations have recognized Culver’s for its ongoing success. In 2010, the International Foodservice Manufacturer’s Association recognized Culver’s with the Regional Chain Excellence award. Five years earlier, Nation’s Restaurant News named Craig Culver as one of its Golden Chain winners. That same year, accounting firm Ernst & Young named the couple Wisconsin’s Consumer Products/Retail Entrepreneurs of the Year.

Former Governor Jim Doyle recognized the company in 2004 with an Exemplary Employer Award. The company has also supported dairy and hog farmers with billboards and marketing campaigns to increase public awareness of these Wisconsin industries.

In November, 2009, the Culvers took another big step, moving into the company’s new home office and support center. Architect Peter Tan of Strang, Inc. designed the Prairie style building located in the North Ridge Business Park to complement the rolling hills and scenic view of the Wisconsin River.

Now that the business continues to move forward and the children are grown, Craig and Lea are able to manage a little time for themselves.

Lea, who had planned to study interior

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Good people Craig and Lea having a little fun with some of the Culver Franchising System staff and Culver’s franchise partners who attended the WRA Awards Dinner

design in college, is a “closet artist,” who chose all of the art for the new building.

She’s also looking forward to being a first-time grandmother.

Craig is an avid golfer. A Culver’s branded, white golf bag filled with clubs

sits in a place of prominence in the corner of his office.

But work remains his passion. Several times a week Craig can still be found helping out at the Sauk City Culver’s location. The couple, who live across

the river from the home office, also have a second home in Scottsdale, Ariz.

It’s obvious the business is more than just their livelihood—it’s a mission.

“It’s our way we choose to serve others,” said Lea. WR

Are you in the know?

Make sure you don’t miss out on the vital info WRA sends to members Important Alerts • Business News • Legislative Notices • Networking Invitations • Educational Opportunities • And More

Keep WRA informed of changes to your email address

Call 800.589.3211 or email membership@wirestaurant.org Second Quarter 12 • Wisconsin

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The Craft Cocktail

Revolution

by Katjusa Cisar

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artender Nick Kosevich has five tattoos on his forearms: a strip of bacon, a Hawthorne strainer, an English bar spoon, a Japanese bar spoon and the molecular model for monosodium glutamate.

Bacon and MSG are his favorite ingredients (a fact he imparts with a “Well, duh!” attitude), but the tats of bar tools represent something bigger. He loves his craft.

They also signal a fast-growing trend in bartending. But not just bartending. Rather, the craft of mixing fine cocktails using the right tools is coming back. Drinks, and their drinkers and makers, are getting more sophisticated. Mixology is cool again.

“People’s palates are becoming more demanding,” said Kosevich, who co-founded the Milwaukee bitters-brewing company Bittercube in 2009. “The landscape of cocktail culture is changing. We’re excited to be part of that.”

At the Wisconsin Restaurant Expo in March, Kosevich and his business partner Ira Koplowitz gave well-attended presentations on cocktails (samples included, naturally).

Prohibition destroyed a great American tradition of cocktails, they explained. In the past decade, bartenders have been reviving lost traditions and making new ones.

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“What’s going on now,” said Dan Sidner, co-owner of Milwaukee restaurants Maxie’s Southern Comfort and Blue’s Egg, is a “chef’s approach to drinks.”

Across Wisconsin, accomplished bartenders agree it’s an exciting time to be making cocktails. With all the resources now available, it’s no longer sufficient to slap together a stiff drink with mass-produced booze and cheap juice mixes, topped with a withered lime wedge or a maraschino cherry that’s a shade of red not seen in nature.

Bartenders are using better ingredients, better tools and exploring classic and cutting-edge techniques. They are becoming mixologists, the equivalent of a chef behind the bar.

Better ingredients

“Farm-fresh” is the golden objective now in food preparation, and that goal is spreading to the bar menu.

“The expectations of guests are much higher than five years ago,” said Sidner.

He also noted more and more people are watching the Food Network, reading about sustainable agriculture and paying attention to where their food is coming from—so it’s only natural that the trend extend to cocktails.

“When I was kid, our parents who had grown up on farms were serving us TV dinners because it was cool,” he said. “Now the pendulum is swinging back ... There’s a return to farmfresh food.”

At Blue’s Egg and Maxie’s, Sidner said his bartenders are making cocktail ingredients from scratch. “The previous wisdom was: you buy your liquor, you buy your mixers,” he said. Now they’re making their own reductions, bitters and purees. “We’ll juice things like fennel bulbs, beets and

onions. And we can say we created this product. We didn’t just pull it off a shelf.

It allows us to work with a variety of flavors. We have more control.”

INdustri Cafe in Milwaukee sticks to a Wisconsin-only beer menu and has started applying the same local and regional focus to its cocktails. The restaurant offers about 18 flavors of infused vodka, including those made with cherries from Door County and bacon from Nueske’s in Wittenberg, and the bartenders cook a simple syrup out of Wisconsin honey.

“We really wanted to support local industries,” said owner Robert Klemm.

On Mondays, INdustri Cafe hosts a build-your-own martini night, where guests can mix-and-match an infused vodka, a house-made simple syrup and a fresh juice.

Customers are also showing a preference for locally produced or small-batch and boutique liquors, like Redemption Rye, according to Bob Hemauer, manager at the Tornado Steakhouse in Madison.

“What’s going on now is a chef’s approach to drinks.”

– Dan Sidner

Maxie’s Southern Comfort & Blue’s Egg restaurants

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continued from page 21 “It just parallels what’s happening with food,” Hemauer said.

Even the most basic of bar staples, like vermouth, lime and garnishes, are getting better treatment these days.

Vermouth needs to be refrigerated and kept fresh, according to Bittercube’s Kosevich and Koplowitz. Left out at room temperature, it starts to turn.

“If you kept serving wine two weeks after you opened it, and left it out, people would stop drinking it,” Koplowitz said.

The same goes for juices, added Kosevich: “If you leave lime juice out, it’s going to start to smell like farts.”

Better tools, better prep

The Bittercube guys also advocate using quality tools of the trade: sharp knives, unvarnished muddlers, and English and Japanese bar spoons for stirring.

Upgrading to better tools comes down to economy, ease of use, speed and better-tasting drinks. Muddlers should be metal and unvarnished, otherwise the varnish wears off over time into drinks.

A bartender shouldn’t have to waste

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time sawing off a lemon peel with a flimsy, dull knife; instead, use a channel knife to peel off a string of lemon so strong “you could jump rope with it,” Kosevich said.

Proper glassware is worth the investment, too.

“Glassware is important for perceived value,” said Koplowitz. “You don’t need to have 17 different glasses,” he added, but investing in a few different ones

“I basically take cocktails from the old days, from the ‘40s and ‘50s, and mix them up with some fun boozes that aren’t mass-produced” – Nick Lunde

Wild Rice Restaurant

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will pay off—for instance highballs for effervescent drinks and “Nick and Nora” glasses for gimlets and martinis.

The increased focus on fresh, housemade ingredients requires bartenders to put more time into preparation.

“When we build cocktails, we try to stick with a three-step goal,” said Sidner. “People aren’t crazy about waiting for their food, but they’re really not crazy about waiting for their drinks.

That often means a lot of prep time in advance. [Bartenders] are coming in well in advance of service.”

Shake and serve

In more than 20 years of bartending, Nick Lunde has learned that simplicity and practicality are the keys to designing a fresh cocktail menu. Now the bar manager at Wild Rice Restaurant in Bayfield, he’s “nailed it down to stuff that’s really doable.” Some bar practices never go out of style—the trick to a good martini is still to shake it so quick and hard the shaker smokes when opened.

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“I basically take cocktails from the old days, from the ‘40s and ‘50s, and mix them up with some fun boozes that aren’t mass-produced,” Lunde said.

Customers’ palates are maturing, he added. Fruity “candy martinis” are on their way out, and classic cocktails are in.

“After a while, you don’t want dessert in your glass, you want a cocktail in your glass.”

But, as with all trends, it’s important to take things slowly.

Hemauer and some friends made a video recently that pokes fun at how ridiculous the trend of craft cocktails is getting. Modeled after the “[Stuff] Girls Say” viral video meme on YouTube, “[Stuff] Bartenders Say” is full of pretentious yet hilariously accurate one-liners: “I really consider myself to be more of a mixologist” and “You should try my cherry bark-cayenne bitters” and “Can you believe those suburbanites and their [bleeping] mojitos?”

“We made the video totally in the spirit of fun. We realize we’re completely part of this trend,” he said. Even so, he advises against trend-chasing just for the sake of being fashionable. “It has to feel organic to the place.”

At his own bar, the Tornado Steakhouse, “it doesn’t make sense for us to do a bunch of lemongrass drinks. We are kind of a throwback, we’re very old school. When [bars] fail, it’s because they try to do too much or try to do everything they’ve heard about on a cocktail blog,” he

Beyond the Shirley Temple

For too long, nondrinkers and designated drivers have been stuck with soda or sugary kiddie cocktails, served with little consideration to taste or presentation.

Bob Hemauer, general manager at The Tornado Steakhouse in Madison, suggests treating nonalcoholic drinks with the same care as a real cocktail.

Don’t just “slop a bunch of sugar in a glass,” he advises. “Think about balancing flavors, what pairs well together,” he said.

Just as the possibilities for alcoholic drinks are expanding, so are the possibilities for their virgin counterparts. Play with ingredients and don’t limit yourself to the basic sodas on tap or bottled juice from concentrate.

Robert Klemm serves flavored iced teas and mixes nonalcoholic cocktails with fresh fruit purees at his restaurant, INdustri Cafe in Milwaukee. Bartenders at INdustri also experiment with booze-less versions of regular cocktails, like a virgin mojito and virgin bloody mary.

At Maxie’s Southern Comfort, bartenders infuse lemonade with rosemary and basil. Co-owner Dan Sidner is buying his bartenders glass beverage dispensers that sit on the bar and keep drinks like infused lemonade circulating and aerated.

“That’s part of our mission: someone who isn’t drinking isn’t relegated to soda,” he said. continued on page 24

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continued from page 23

“When [bars] fail, it’s because they try to do too much or try to do everything they’ve heard about on a cocktail blog.”

said. That approach can lead to a “weird Frankenstein cocktail menu that doesn’t make holistic sense.”

Small changes can make a world of difference. Sidner, co-owner of Blue’s Egg and Maxie’s, is experimenting with old favorites. His beverage staff have joined the revival of the classic whiskey punch, but “instead of the stuff you drank in college out of a garbage barrel,” they’re making it with passion fruit and other fresh-squeezed juices.

Sidner regularly holds competitions between his bartenders, to encourage innovation. Liquor sales bumped up 30 percent at Blue’s Egg after bar manager David Kenyon expanded the morning cocktail menu beyond the usual Bellini or bloody mary and started offering $2 “mini drinks,” Sidner said. The little cocktails are approachable and nonintimidating. “It gives us a chance to play around.” WR

– Bob Hemauer

Tornado Steakhouse Pictured at left: Koplowitz and Kosevich from Bittercube held numerous seminars at the Expo and attendees were treated to a wide array of drink samples including: Vodka Gimlet, Manhattan, Margarita, Rum Old Fashioned, Cornelian Sour, Mele Kalikimaka, The Professor and Mary Anne, Sapphire Collins and Negroni.

Moscow Mule Profile of a Cocktail Everywhere we turn someone is ordering a Moscow Mule. For those of who haven’t experienced this nostalgic phenomenon, it’s a cocktail invented back in 1941 on the east coast which ended up becoming a sensation in Hollywood, helping to usher in the use of vodka as a popular base for cocktails. In fact “Insider Hollywood” had this to say about the drink in 1942, “There is a new drink that is a craze in the movie colony now.

It is called the Moscow Mule.” Deemed by some to an ideal summer drink (particularly when served in its chilly copper cup), there are also variations on the theme—a Kentucky Mule with Bourbon and a Jäger Mule with Jägermeister, of course.

INGREDIENTS 1¼ oz vodka 3 oz ginger beer 1 tsp sugar syrup ¼ oz lime juice 1 sprig mint 1 slice lime INSTRUCTIONS In a copper mug or cocktail glass, pour vodka over ice. Add sugar syrup and lime juice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with mint sprig and lime slice.

Note: Some recipes focus purely on the vodka (two parts) , lime juice (one part) and ginger beer (3 parts)

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Looking for more inspiration from the past? Check out “The Savoy Cocktail Book,” an industry standard since it was first published in 1930.

Available from many on-line retailers for less than $20.

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And

the

Winners Are...

by Amy Steger

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he Wisconsin Restaurant Expo was the place to be for an exciting and diverse slate of competitions. The college competitions and ProStart® high school competitions offered a show-stopping roster of young talent with their eyes on a career in foodservice or hospitality management. The highly visual Tabletop Design Competition presented jaw-dropping creativity in 8-top displays. And, the debut of the Art of the Cake Competition was well-received, celebrating artful cakes and over-thetop confectionary designs.

ProStart High School Competition

At Wisconsin’s ProStart Invitational®, 24 schools and 127 high school students put their skills to the test. This competition for students participating in a ProStart program at their high school consists of two components: a Management Competition and a Culinary Competition. In the Management Competition, students developed a business proposal for a new restaurant concept and gave an oral presentation. For the Culinary Competition, students had one hour to prepare a three-course meal judged on teamwork, presentation, cooking procedures, knife skills and sanitation. Scholarships totaling over one million dollars from several colleges and universities were made available to the competitors.

Wauwatosa East High School won first place in the Culinary Competition, a firsttime win for the Culinary Team. The East Management Team has competed twice at Nationals, in 2006 and 2010.

Badger High School in Lake Geneva won second place and Sun Prairie High

The winning Culinary Team from East High School in Wauwatosa. From left: Raven Koch, Frankie Fluery, Ian Gradian, Instructor Barbara Bruesewitz and Kirsten Miller

School won third place in the Culinary Competition.

Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids won first place in the Management Competition. It was the first year the school competed and a first-time win.

The second place team in the Management Competition was Badger High School in Lake Geneva with Pulaski High School taking third place.

The winning teams of the Culinary and Management competitions went on to compete in the National ProStart Invitational® in Baltimore, Maryland at the end of April. The Wisconsin ProStart Invitational was sponsored by US Foods, Culver’s VIP Foundation and The Vollrath Company with equipment donated by Fein Brothers. continued on page 26

The winning Management Team from Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids. From left: Alexandria Rich, Mercedes Marcouex, Samuel Delaney, Emily Tauschek, Kayla Geister and Instructor Lynn Borski.

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The winning hot food competition team from Fox Valley Technical College.

From left: Team Coach, Instructor Jenn Malvitz; Brian Shaw; Shanna Denning; Laura Johnson; Jerry Tignall; Chris Vandeyacht and Team Coach, Instructor R.C. Schroeder.

“Detection” tablescape by Marcus Hotel and Resorts – winner of Most Innovative and Best Use of a Theme.

meals, judged solely on presentation.

Kristin Schnurer was awarded first place and was the only competitor to receive a Gold Medal standing. Scott Strand won second place and Shanna Denning took third place. All three winners are students at Fox Valley Technical College.

In the Hot Food Contemporary Competition, students work in teams to prepare a four-course meal judged on taste and presentation. The team from Fox Valley Technical College took first place. Blackhawk Technical College was awarded second place and Moraine Park Technical College won third place.

Tabletop Design Competition

Kristin Schnurer from Fox Valley Technical College with her winning cold plate entry.

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College Culinary Arts Competition Teams of culinary students from Wisconsin colleges competed in the Hot Food and Cold Plate Competitions sponsored by the Wisconsin Beef Council (WBC) and the Veal Committee of the WBC, with Fein Brothers as an equipment donor.

In the Cold Plate Competition, students prepared beautifully designed

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The Expo was pleased to bring back the highly popular Tabletop Design Competition in partnership with the Southern Wisconsin Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE). Nine event design professionals showcased original 8-top table displays in the competition for cash, prizes and credentials to further their business goals.

Milwaukee’s Marcus Hotels and Resorts won in two categories, Most Innovative and Best Use of a Theme, for their “Detection” themed table.

Most Viable Concept went to Imagen Events in Waukesha for their “A-DoorAble Country Chic” themed table.

The People’s Choice award, where Expo attendees voted for their favorite tabletop design, was awarded to Tamara’s Cakes in Oshkosh for their “Through the Looking Glass” themed table.

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Imagen Events won Most Viable Concept with their “A-Door-Able Country Chic” design.

People’s Choice award winning table design “Through the Looking Glass” by Tamara’s Cakes.

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Art of the Cake Competition

Top bakery professionals and budding pastry artists sweetly battled in the Expo’s brand new Art of the Cake Competition. Competitors vied to expand their business credentials in one of two categories: the Extreme Wedding Cake Challenge and the Creative Cake Decorating Competition. The only competitions of their kind in the state, the beautifully artistic entries were a stunning reminder of the talent housed in Wisconsin.

In the Creative Cake Decorating Competition, Tamara Mugerauer of Tamara’s Cakes won Best of Show. Tamara also won the People’s Choice award for this category—where attendees voted on their most favorite creative cake.

Other winning cakes from the professional category were Robin Krajick of Regina’s Bay Bakery, Jennifer Bukouricz of Monzu Bistro and Jenn Malvitz and Sue Horvath of Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC). Student division winners included Kaytlin Snively of FVTC, Amanda Theisen of Alpha Delights European Bakery and Kirsten Kasper of FVTC. In the Extreme Wedding Cake Challenge, Lisa Orosz of O&H Danish Bakery won Best of Show. Her cake was also selected by attendees as the winner of the People’s Choice award for the category.

Other winning cakes from the professional category were Tamara Mugerauer of Tamara’s Cakes, Katherine Hincak of Hidden Café and Rachel Muniz of O&H Danish Bakery. The student division winner was Brittany Wilms of Tamara’s Cakes.

Additional Photos Best of Show and People’s Choice winner for the Extreme Wedding Cake Challenge Lisa Orosz of O&H Danish Bakery.

Winning photos of the college and high school student competitions, the tabletop competition and the cake competitions are available through select event pages on the Wisconsin Restaurant Expo website at www.everythingfoodservice.org.

Save the date for next year’s show: March 11-13, 2013. WR

Best of Show and People’s Choice winner for the Creative Cake Competition Tamara Mugerauer of Tamara’s Cakes.

Shanna Denning, the only college student to compete in both the Cold Plate and Hot Food competitions, works with her team from Fox Valley Technical College to create a winning four course meal.

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Wisconsin Restaurant Business News, continued from page 22

Wisconsin Restaurant Business News

WRA Annual Awards Dinner

Roundtable Doug Zieghan (right) being presented with the Chapter Hero award by Mark Dougherty.

WRA Chapter Outstanding Restaurateurs of the Year award winners. From left: Gary Rudy, Rudy’s Drive-In, La Crosse (La Crosse Chapter), Jack Schulte, Yankee Jack’s at Princeton Valley Golf Course (West Wisconsin Chapter), Conroy Soik, Eatmore, Inc./Culver’s (Wisconsin River Valley Chapter), Glenda Woosley, Culver’s of Darboy (Big Four Chapter), Greg Swanberg (Milwaukee Chapter), and Lewis Dahlberg representing Thomas Beach from UNO Chicago Grill (Madison Chapter). Not pictured are Mary and McKim Boyd from Union Hotel (Green Bay Chapter).

Hotline Q&A

Carl Brakebush (left), CEO of Brakebush Brothers in Westfield as he received the Award of Merit, presented by Mark Dougherty, from Mark’s East Side in Appleton, Chairman of the WRA Awards Committee.

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Craig and Lea Culver weren’t the only award recipients at the prestigious annual Awards Dinner. Industry insiders gathered in the lavish ballroom at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee on March 13th to honor and celebrate their peers’ contributions to the association and the industry.

The WRA Chapter Outstanding Restaurateurs of the Year (OROY) were also honored at the dinner.

The winners, who had been previously recognized by their local chapters at chapter events

and by their legislators with legislative citations, are all examples of excellence in their chapters.

Douglas Zieghan of Mariner’s Inn, Madison and Harmony Living Centers, McFarland was presented the Chapter Hero award for his 30 plus years of dedicated service to the Madison Chapter. This award was created to acknowledge the important roles that chapters play in WRA’s success.

Zieghan has held every office in the chapter, including serving as chair of the scholarship committee which has awarded over $35,000 in 15 years, and has always encouraged the membership and participation of many Madison businesses.

Carl Brakebush of Brakebush Brothers in Westfield was recognized as the Award of Merit recipient. Brakebush has generously supported the WRA and WRA Education Foundation through contributions to the annual Golf Outing, his family’s endowed William & Otto Brakebush Scholarship, consistent participation at the annual Wisconsin Restaurant Expo, numerous sponsorships and through his service on the WRA Board of Directors (on which he still serves in an emeritus role after completing his term).

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WRA members stopped in the rotunda between legislative visits.

From left: Martha Eckstaedt, Trey Hester, Kurt Kimball, Steve Schilling and Norm Eckstaedt.

The annual James Beard Foundation awards are the highest honors for food and beverage professionals working in North America. Finalists for the James Beard Foundation Awards Best Chef: Midwest once again includes two Wisconsin chefs, both of whom were finalists last year. Winners will be announced in May. Justin Aprahamian, chef de cuisine at Sanford Restaurant in Milwaukee (owned by WRA members Angie and Sanford D’Amato) and Tory Miller, executive chef at L’Etoile in Madison were again finalists in the category covering Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Both chefs participated in the Culinary Theater at this year’s Expo!

Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau). The key issues that members addressed included: a 10% tax credit for advertising out of state; room tax reform; unemployment insurance bonding to pay off Wisconsin’s debt to the Federal Unemployment Account and “Wisconsin Wins” (voluntary occupational training to unemployment insurance claimants).

After meeting face-to-face with legislators and staff to discuss how these issues would impact our industry and their businesses, the group reconvened at Tempest Oyster Bar for happy hour.

Members from the West Wisconsin Chapter at the Tempest Oyster Bar happy hour. From left: Joanne Palzkill, Claudia Draganowski, Rose Hunt, Georgette Gust, Mike DeRosa and Carol Lien.

Knut Apitz in Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Campaign

Restaurant Lobby Day

Members, including restaurant operators and suppliers, traveled to the state Capitol on February 8th for Restaurant Lobby Day. Before the group of 100 people met with the legislators from their districts, they gathered at Monona Terrace for lunch and were briefed on the issues from WRA staff. They also heard from several speakers: Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance Ted Nickel, Assembly Minority Leader Rep. Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) and Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) who serves on the Joint Finance Committee and Senate

Knut Apitz, the retired executive chef/owner of Grenadier’s in Milwaukee, has been featured on billboards around southeast Wisconsin beginning in early April to raise awareness about Parkinson’s Disease. April was Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month and Apitz has been actively involved with the The Wisconsin Parkinson Association, so it was a natural step to feature him on the billboards as he is a recognizable industry figure in Milwaukee’s fine dining scene. Apitz is also a tireless advocate for education in the restaurant industry. He is a past Chairman of the WRA Education Foundation Board of Directors and currently is Chairman of the Endowment Committee.

To learn more about Parkinson’s Disease and the services provided by The Wisconsin Parkinson Association, visit their website at www.wiparkinson.org continued on page 30

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NRA Public Affairs Conference

A group of WRA members and staff traveled to Washington, D.C. for the National Restaurant Association’s Public Affairs Conference, April 17-18.

Members were briefed on the issues

by WRA and NRA government relations staff before meeting with Wisconsin’s U.S. representatives and senators. “America From left: Steve Davis, Lynn McDonough, John Kavanaugh, Rep. Ron Works Here” was Kind (D-La Crosse), Trey Hester and Chris Wiken. the theme of this year’s conference, underscoring our industry’s role as a leading job creator.

Some of the key issues that members worked to gather support for were: a permanent 15-year depreciation schedule for restaurant improvements and construction; encouraging further reforms in the debit/ credit card swipe-fee From left: WRA Chairman Lynn McDonough, NRA/WRA Board Member John Kavanaugh and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville). market; gather support to block the National Labor Relations Board ambush-election rule; and urge modifications to the 2010 health care law, including the repeal of the employer mandate and auto-enrollment mandate.

Joe Sorge Nominated for NRA’s New Operator Innovator Award

Joe Sorge, owner of AJ Bombers in Madison and Milwaukee, and partner in Hospitality Democracy with his wife Angie and David Marcus of Marcus Investments, was nominated by the WRA in the technology category for the newly created Operator Innovator Awards. The national award winners will be recognized during the NRA Show in Chicago. Sorge’s savvy use of social media has created dedicated brand ambassadors out of customers and he has achieved impressive success with his businesses in tumultuous economic times.

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His innovations in harnessing the power of Twitter, Facebook and FourSquare have raised the profiles of his restaurants to a national level and garnered media attention from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and Nation’s Restaurant News. In fact AJ Bombers was just ranked at #30 in Nation’s Restaurant News’ “Top 100 restaurant social media brands”—in good company with national chains like Qdoba, Subway and Olive Garden. Not bad for a small burger joint in Wisconsin!

Badger High School Excels at Burger Throw Down

Illustration by Neal Aspinall

In early April, Badger High School in Lake Geneva competed against nine local restaurants to create the best burger in the “First Annual Geneva Lakes Burger Throw Down” competition held at The Abbey Resort & Spa in Fontana. The event was sponsored by the Geneva Lakes Chapter of the American Culinary Federation. The Badger team came in second in the People’s Choice category and first in the judges’ category. They now move on to compete against local businesses and culinary schools in Chicago for the Windy City’s ACF Chapter event. WR

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Subscribe today at www.cateringmagazine.com Second Quarter 12 • Wisconsin

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We asked restaurant operators from around the state:

The Back Burner

What is your most popular appetizer?

Simmer on this Shrimp and cream cheese jalapeno poppers and the grilled prime rib quesadillas Blanca L. Webers, Owner/President Casablanca de Mexico Restaurant & Lounge, Racine

Cheese curds—they are delicious!

Lola’s signature caramelized scallops with citrus supremes and champagne orange sauce

Polly Worthington, Owner Booyah Shed and Grill, De Pere Irish nachos

Deep fried pickles

MaryBeth Van Every, Owner The 75th Street Inn, Salem Our stuffed mushroom caps—we stuff them with crab, cream cheese and spinach then finish with cheddar and mozzarella and bake them to perfection

Cedric J. Ellingson, Owner Bo’s ‘n Mine, River Falls Bread sticks with pizza sauce

Crawfish tails

Scott Baker, Director of Food and Beverage Lola’s on the Lake at The Osthoff Resort, Elkhart Lake

John Hayes, Owner The Red Ox Seafood and Steakhouse, Appleton

Dick Luther, Owner Joe Jo’s Pizza and Gelato, Ephraim

Scott Patchin, Owner David W. Heiney’s Dining and Spirits, Black Earth

Arancini, Sicilian fried risotto balls—in the fall we make them with butternut squash, squid and pumpkinseed oil Peter Gebauer, Executive Chef Potawatomi Bingo Casino, Milwaukee

Sample basket: It’s an array of deep fried goodies, including french fries, onion rings, deep-fried mushrooms, macaroni and cheese wedges and of course cheese curds Rachael Stanley, co-owner Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry, Madison

We offer a creamy spinach and artichoke dip served with wonton chips and grilled focaccia bread for dipping. It is topped with fresh bruschetta. It is a very popular, sharable plate.

Tim Neuman, Restaurant General Manager Ground Round Grill & Bar, Neenah

Share with your fellow restaurateurs on the next Back Burner question—visit www.wirestaurant.org 32

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Food Safety and Bartender Certification

Brought to you by:

Meet state requirements with the industry’s best training and certification.

ServSafe

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■ ServSafe® Manager Initial Review and Exam ■ Wisconsin State Food Manager’s Recertification ■ Online Food Safety – Initial and Recertification Get more info:

■ ServSafe® Food Handler Employee Training ■ ServSafe® Alcohol and Bartender Training – Online Available across Wisconsin.

Contact WRA for locations or more information.

Register today! www.wirestaurant.org/servsafe • 800.589.3211 Second Quarter 12 • Wisconsin

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We’ve Got You Covered!

“Product and Profitability” For you... the restaurateur, we believe that “Training with a Purpose for Profit” is the key to your success and our partnership.

Dierks Waukesha is proud to present the finest plate coverage available.

We are Center-of The-Plate Specialists, featuring Custom Cut Fresh Meats from Melotte Wholesale Meats and Fresh Seafood from St. Paul Fish Company. As a member of UniPro Foodservice, Inc., Dierks Waukesha delivers exceptional quality and value with a 12,000 item selection of NATIONALLY BRANDED goods. UniPro is the largest foodservice distribution cooperative in the United States, with over $31 billion in buying power which directly benefits you.

Together, we will create pleasurable dining experiences that your patrons will find positively irresistible.

900 Gale Street • Waukesha, WI 53186 • (262) 542-8841 • (800) 283-7788 34

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