Takeout Takes on a New Look

~t
BUSINESS
UILDERS
Fast f(lod restaurants with ready­
to-eat items have long dominated the
Beld of takeout. i ow, ful.l-service,
HMR and supermarket establishments
with quality foods are tapping into
eatZi's aims to be a European-style
takeout bakery and market experience.
eatZi's slogan-"The Joy of fat Cook­
ing," says it all.
With 85 percent of sales from take­
out, eatZi's offers about 2,000 varieties
of everything from gourmet to tradi­
tional foods, including entrees, cheeses,
breads, desserts and beverages. Foods
include American, Asian, Italian and
ehild-Ii-iendly cats. In addition, health­
conscious selections arc being devel­
oped in response to customer requests.
"One of our sayings is that we give an
hour back to everyone's life when they
don't have to cook. There are people
who come here for bn~akfast, lunch and
elinner everyday. It is amazing," Fry says.
Bear Rock Cafe, with eight stores
in North Carolina, is a deli-style con­
cept that has gotten downright aggres­
sive about promoting its takeout busi­
ness. With only a 60-seat capacity,
on-premise sales aren't
enough to meet sale expec­
tations. Despite its size,
Bear Rock's top stores bring
in S112,000 in monthly
revenue, with 40 percent of
sales from takeout. "Seating
60 people doesn't give you
a whole lot of room to gen­
erate that revenue. There is
no question that people still
want ow' 'Mountain
Stuffed' sandwiches, and
they want them in a way that "HMR is the wave of the future, and the .val'
is fast, ffiendly and fresh,"
people are 1ll0vill9:'-]ennifer Chandler, Cheffie's
says Todd Mancini, vice
Market & More.
preSident of operations.
To increase its takeout
those back, we know that our promo­
business, Bear Rock's staff hit the
tions are working," Mancini says.
streets, knocking on door' offering
When Jennifer Chandler
free cookies, menus and coupons to
pondered the Memphis market, she
local businesses. As a result, they found
was disturbed that takeout meant pa~'­
a niche in the carryout market, target­
ing full price at a restaurant to have it
thrown in a bag. Her solution­
ing mailings at medical professionals,
accountants during tax preparation
Chiffie's Market &.More-a HMR
time and furniture suppliers. And
operation she opened in June 1999.
requests for corporate accounts keep
"This was something I felt Memphis
needed," Chandler says. "This is the
coming. "As long as we are getting
wave of the future, and the way people
are moving. So, we did a little rcseard
and felt that it would work here. So,
we are giving it our best shot." It offer'
It's standard practice that customers get thanked at their tables or the register
100 items daily for carryout, most or
which are American continental with
when they pay up, but a New York City fine-dining restaurant has figured a way to
extend its gratitude into homes when customers get food to go.
pricing somewhere between a grocer:
When diners get doggie bags at Union Square Cafe in Manhattan, they open
store and a restaurant.
them later to find a card from the Executive Chef and Owner Michael Romano
But Cheme's goes beyond pot pit'
wishing them bon appetite again.The pre-printed cards from Romano-who has
and chicken fingers. Among favorite
nice handwriting-are a way for the I 25-seat restaurant to extend the hospitali­
specials are cedar plank salmon anel
forest mushroom meatloaf-Chandler'·
ty it's known for. "We really get positive feedback. People think it's
twist on home cooking staple items.
cute," says General Manager Mark Maynard-Parisi. "For
Many items are served chilled, so the\
us it was sort of an obvious thing to do. People are still
wowed by it and that's great." The card reads in part.'Tm
can be baked or microwaved at home
delighted that you thought so highly of our meal that you've
Already Cheme's has earned acCo­
taken the rest home. Hope you'll enjoy it as much the second
lades with MemphiS Ma8azine, honorin;
time around. See you soon at Union Square Cafe."
Cheme's last year \-vith BestTakeout
The New York Times recently praised the cards in a three­
and one of three winners for Best Nc','
star restaurant review. Maynard-Parisi says it's just another example of how every­
Restaurant.
one at Union Square Cafe right down to the chefs strives to give diners a tasty and
After O\vning Hardin's CountlJ
memorable experience.
Store in Tupelo, Miss., for eight year'.
Bobby and Sarah Hardin began
Saying Thanks
22
FOOD & SERVICE IDEAS • Spring 2000
1998 Share
of Takeout by
Category
offering carryout in their deli depart­
ment. Sarah says the move boosted
sales tremendously as dinner patrons
realized they had an alternative to
evenings at the stove. "The people who
want takeout are the type of people
who come in here after work and don't
want to fix dinner," she says. With its
lock on local customers, Hardin's offers
a full line of sandwiches including bar­
becue, grilled chicken, burgers, chick­
en fillets and fish.
SUPERMARKETS:
CONTENDERS
To-Go
After stumbling with HMR in the early
1990s, many supermarkets are now on
track. Learning from there mistakes,
today grocers are making one of the
biggest forays in the to-go market.
At first, retailers jumped on the
takeout bandwagon but found that
starting a good HMR program was
easier said than done. Large chains in
particular discovered HMR posed
production problems that they were
not prepared for, according to Meg
Major, fresh food editor for Supermarket
Business. However, retailers understood
14
that HMR was a Significant part of the
Pizza is still the biggest player in
the
HMR market, but burger. chicken.
market that they were losing and
other sandwich, and Mexican chains
persisted in finding ways to offer
have successfully convinced
takeout. Solutions have varied from
consumers that their products are
contracting out with food distributors
just as suitable for takeout.
and central commissaries to on-site
preparation \-vith live chef pre­
---""-:-2% Donut
sentations.
----~% Other Specialty
Ready-to-eat rotisserie
°0 Frozen Sweet Sh~
- - - - <t''ll Varied Menu
chickens, prepared
etail
soups, pizzas and other
sian
entrees are now show30' Pjzza
exican
cased in many super­
markets. In fact, carry­
7%
out has infiltrated other
Other
Sandwich
parts of groceries, such
Burger
as the meat and bakery
departments.
6
Chicken
And while major superSource: International Food
Manufacturers Assodat!
market chains play catch up, some
"IFMA World" July 1m
independent retailers have managed to
do well with HMR. Today, retailers fea­
supermarkets."
ture more ready-to-heat or -prepare
meals deSigned for quick consumption.
"In the last couple of years, things have
BROWN PAPER BAG UPGRADE
Often, takeout meals aren't taken
rebounded and propped up by a lot
straight home. Customers may run a
more education on the subject," she
says. "I think profitability is just becom­
fevv errands before going home.
ing a break-even situation for most
Operators have little control over ".
or how the food is eaten once it's tak
out of the building. One way to ensu
that the food served stays fresh anel
to eat is choosing the right packagin~
The right packaging can make or bre
a takeout meal and also gives custon
higher expectations than a traditional
paper bag. "In the past, food might hJ
seeped right through the bag. But to
people are not going to stand for thaI
kind of performance," says John Bm
president of the Foodservice & Pack
ing Institute Inc., Arlington, Va.
Burke says operators need to thi
about how long food "'ril! be in the
package in order to choose the right
containers. "What we are discoveri
more and more is that the way the
package is being used is not in the n
mal 15 minutes, starting when the
package is placed in the car to when
ready to eat. It is more likely that it i
FOOD & SERVICE IDEAS • Spring 2000
going to he half an hour, 45 minutes or
even longer," Burke sa)'s.
Picking the right packaging aJso
means thinking about whether foods
need to stay hot, cold or be reheated in
the O\'en or microwave. Knowing how
packaging needs to hold up, operators
National Cattlemen's BeefAsso
Taking Care of Takeout
Tips on takeout foo<h'afety: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
Cold Food Handling
Roasted Red Pepper &
Artichoke Souffle
Basic American Foods
Yield: 48 servings
I gal., 3 qt. Potato Sides Base
10 oz. Luzzatti® Parmesan cheese,
grated
4 Ib.Alliant PRESTIGE'!' canned
artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
15 oz.Alliant PRESTIG~ roasted red
peppers, diced
I oz. Natural Resource® fresh
parsley, chopped
16 large Glenview Farms® eggs
I qt. Glenview Farms® milk
Lin large bowl, combine Potato
Sides Base, 8 oz. Parmesan
cheese, artichokes, reel
peppers and parsley.
2. In large bowl, whip
eggs and milk. Stir
into mixture.
3. Spoon 1 cup mix­
ture into each greased
10 oz. cup, single-serve casse­
role dish, and sprinkle with 1 tsp.
remaining Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake at 375F for 25 to 30 min­
utes. Remove from heat, cool,
cover and chill.
5. Portion in reheatable containers.
Package for takeout.
Potato Sides Base
In a large stock pot, heat 3 Tbsp. oil; add I
Ib.,4 oz. minced sweet oniollS and saute 5
minutes. Add '/4 cup minced garlic; saute I
minute.Add 2 sal., I ClIp chicken stock.
Bring 10 a boilJVhisk in I 801., I cup
dehydrated potatoes, in small quantities,
until mixture is smooth and thickened. Cool.
26
Chill foods to lOaF within the first two hours after cooking, then to 40°F or
below within four hours after cooking.
Portion foods in takeout containers and then chill.
Mark date and time p'repared on all items.
Keep ice used to chill displayed items from touching food.
Hot Food Handling
Maintain food temperature at 140°F or higher throughout holding time.
Never use hot holding equipment to cook or reheat food.
Check food temperatures every two hours.
Do not serve leftover product that has been held uncovered.
Source: Basic American Foods
oos.ed chicken,
lrtgeiabJes and mas'Jed potatoes
is a 'ried-and-true ta.keout favorite.
can choose the right packaging to fit
their takeout needs. Burke suggests
that restaurants get feedback from their
customer about where they are travel­
ing from and to. Also, he recommends
using signage to remind customers to
keep cold foods cold, hot foods hot and
to encourage safe food storage. Label­
ing with reheating or cooling inst:ruc­
tions will become standard practice as
takeout's popularity escalates, he adds.
Another weapon against food
spoilage Burke foresees is one that Euro­
pean scientists have developed. It is a
FOOD & SERVICE IDEAS • Spring 2000
sensor made from edible plaStiC that
changes color if food is stored at the
wrong temperature or is past its sell
date. The sensor is applied directl~ t
piece of food or on the packaging. \\
suited for carryout foods; the device
just starting to appear in U.S. supe
kets. "I think it is not going to be ,c
long before it makes the leap over t
home meal replacements," Burke sa
At eatZi's, food safety starts I
the food even gets packaged. Fr~ .
his store is subject to tough inspee
by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, \
he says enforces a stricter standard
many health departments. "We.; d
know when our customers are go'
consume the food, so we have to
the best practices. Our kitchen is
immaculately clean," Fry says.
LINES MOVE 'EM ALONG
rn table -service and fast-food out
the number of lines dedicated so
carryout is increasing. Other lin
started to pop up for those who
RECIP
Radically Roasted Beef Sandwich
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Yield: 24 servings
phoned their order in ahead of time.
Aside from moving takeout customers quickly,
Technomic Executive Vice President Dennis Lombardi
says dedicated takeout lines build awareness that take­
out is available at a restaurant. Although other types of
food establishments are ventw-ing into takeout, quick­
service restaurants still lead with fast, convenient food
to-go. However, moving vehicles through drive-thrus
quickly, courteously and without mistakes is still one of
the biggest challenges for operators. Every second
counts specially when someone is waiting in the car.
Lombardi says the best and brightest technological
improvements in drive-thrus includp order confirma­
tion systems that give visual displays of orders and the
amount of purchase. Others are menu boards that draw
attention to profitable meal combos, speakers installed
in kitchens to improve communication and quality of
the sound system, so employees and customers can
hear more clearly. Operators continue measuring and
finding ways to improve speed and accw-acy.
What Lombardi sees on the horizon: debit cards
where credits aloe removed from the card's total value
as food is ordered-a faster way to move cars through
drive-thru by e.liminating cash transactions. A major
foodservice chain is currently testing such a system.
"The consumer is looking for more and more
convenience and less time 'wasted' waiting in line.
So anything the restaw-ants can do to help the drive­
thru experience be quicker and more convenient,
helps them build sales," Lombardi says.
24.6-inch baguettes. split
24 Natural Resource® red onion slices
72 Natural Resource® tomato slices
4 lb.• 8 oz. Canyon Ridge beef top round. cooked, thinly sliced
I Tbsp. salt, if desired
12 oz. arugula leaves
Roasted Garlic Horseradish Spread
TN
t. Per order: Spre d 1Tbsp. Roasted Garlic Horseradish on
each cut sidc of baguette section.
2. On bottom half place 1 onion slic ,separatcd
into rings. 3 tomato slices and 3 oz. roast
beef. Sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired.
3. Top with arugula and top half baguette half.
4. Cut in half and plate.
Roasted Garlic Horseradish Spread
In bowl, mix 3 cups mayonnaise, 8 oz. roasted Barlic and 6 Tbsp.
prepared horseradish. Mix inBredients ulltil chorou8h~, blended.
Cal'€[ and refriBerate.Yield: about 3-'/2 cups.
Scalloped Dijonnaise Casserole
BasicAmerican Foods
Yield: 48 serVings
'I. CUp Distincl:®vegetable oil
2 Ib" 8 oz. Natural Resource® yellow onions. minced
I-'h gal. Home Taste'il1 chicken stock
1-'12 cartons Classic Casserole® Au Gratin Potatoes
3 lb. Glenview Farms® sour cream
2 lb. Glenview FarmS® egg substitute
I5 oz. Luzzatti® Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
'" cup Dijon mustard
'h cup Worcestershire sauce
I Tbsp. pepper sauce (Tabasco®)
I Tbsp. ground black pepper
I Tbsp. salt
5 Ib.,8 oz. Natural Resource®tomatoes, chopped
t. In large stock pot, heat oil; add onions and saute 5 minutes.
As a sweel aftertholl9Jrt, offer sil'9le servill9 desserts
whe" maiketi"9 your takeout dCid of tire day.
28
FOOD & SERVICE IDEAS • Spring 2000
2. Add broth and bring to a hoil; whisk in seasoning pa ke '.
AJd potato slices and bring to a boil. Remove fi'om hea ,
Cool mixture slight! .
3. In large bowl, whip nonfat sour lTeam, ~ sub 'tute,"3 cups
cheese, mustard, 'Nor stershire, pepp r. auce and
seasonings,
4. Gradually add potato mixture evenly into four greased half~siz~
steamtahle pans.
5. Top each laY' r with 3 cups tomatoes. Top with rpmaining
potato mixture. prinklc evenly with remaining 1 cup eh es .
Bake at 350F for 25 t 3 minute.s. or unb! golden bro\\11 and
bubbly. Remove frol11 heat, cool, cover and chill.
6. Portion in reheatable containers. Packag·' for takeout.