boston - Foodservice East

Transcription

A Boston chef “pushes forward,” seeking to inspire – page 3
Foodservice East
Volume 84, Number 4
•
Wintertide, 2010
•
THE BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS PUBLICATION FOR THE $80 BILLION NORTHEAST FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY
OFFERING INFORMED REPORTING & COMMENTARY FOR THE FOODSERVICE PROFESSIONAL
2010 expected to show improvement by second half as
operators continue to re-invent and re-tool concepts
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
BISTRO DU MIDI
The joint venture of Himmel Hospitality Group and MARC Limited,
this Provencal concept seeks to engage customers with sophisticated
Page 3
comfort food
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
At Boston’s Aquitaine, an early dining fixture in the South End, a new
chef, Matt Gaudet, is serving classic French bistro fare at affordable
Page 4
price points
Correction
A picture on page 1 of the Fall
Equinox, 2009 issue failed to
credit Pasta Sfoglia by Ron and
Colleen Suhanosky; John Wiley &
Sons. FSE regrets the error.
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F
oodservice operators
across the Northeast
are seeking “magic
bullets” this year,
hoping for improvements in the economic climate
and consumer confidence that
will lead to stronger traffic
and sales.
Even operators who saw
2009 business show an uptick
at year-end felt that for the
year as a whole, Santa left a
lump of coal in their stockings.
What lies ahead remains
fraught with question marks,
although most forecasters anticipate it shouldn’t be quite
as bad as 2009.
Many operators continue
to struggle with rising rents,
high food and energy bills
and flat or lower same store
sales, although some report
a stabilization of business as
consumer confidence begins to
slowly improve.
Those who have survived
the past several years have
gone back to the basics, reevaluating concepts, tightening operations, beefing up
staff training and making
changes as necessary.
In Chicago, Technomic,
Inc. anticipates total foodservice industry nominal growth
in 2010 at minus 1.6 percent
versus minus 3.8 percent in
’09 and real growth of minus
3.0 percent this year, compared with minus 6.1 percent
in 2009. Total restaurant and
bar sales are expected to have
nominal growth of minus 1.7
Many view flat as the “new up”
and one reviewer sees pork belly
as the new filet mignon
OUTLOOK
Continued on page 16
In a down economy, burgers move up
Opinion: Overheard recently
- “Burgers are so over.”
PERIODICAL
Fact: Technomic research
shows consumers will pay
more for a premium specialty
burger than a regular burger,
regardless of
the industry
segment.
Conclusion:
An FSE
SPECIAL
REPORT
B u r g e r s
– and particularly topof-the-line
burgers, be they beef, turkey,
seafood or veggie – are not
about to vanish any time soon
if what’s been happening in
the Northeast the past year or
so is any indication.
The once lowly ground beef patty
takes on a new sheen as operators
seek ways to build customer traffic
A
cross the Northeast, there’s a
proliferation of
new burger concepts this year
delivered by everyone from
upscale restaurant groups to
contract feeding operations
with burgers that elevate the
offerings of limited service
restaurants to new levels.
According to a recent report
from foodservice industry consultant, Technomic, consumers are willing to pay more for
a specialty burger, especially
a premium burger, than they
would for a standard burger,
regardless of restaurant segment. “American consumers
take their burgers seriously. It
BURGERS
2
Foodservice East • Wintertide 2010
see fee of $30,000.
Back in the mid-‘80s while
on a trip to San Diego, Brennan, who at the time was a
supermarket manager, discovered coffeehouses and thought
he might like to open one back
East.
Some years later, he returned to the West Coast to
learn a bit more and on coming back, discovered the hook
he was looking for – coffee and
rock ’n roll music.
The first unit opened here
in 1993 and today, five more
are open in New Jersey plus
one in Bethlehem, PA and another in Orlando. Next will be
Union, NJ this year
and Brennan is
working with
a former Boston Chicken
Rock ‘n’ Joe
targets NY, CT
and MA by
2011 for new
franchised
music-oriented
coffeehouses
Company doubled in size
in past year and seeks
franchisees for expansion
C
RANFORD, NJ –
Rock ‘n’ Joe, born of
its founder’s desire
to drink top quality coffee while listening to classic rock ‘n roll
music, added three new units,
doubling in size to eight, this
past year and more are on the
way.
The upscale QSR/fast casual concept is eyeing sites in
northern NJ, New York City,
Philadelphia and Connecticut
before moving into other markets in the East and eventually, beyond.
Kevin Brennan, who developed the concept, is seeking
franchisees with “a passion
and Maggie Moo’s executive to
“tweak the urban concept.”
“We’re targeting New York,
Connecticut and Massachusetts in 2011 with franchisees.”
Stores range in size from
1,200 to 1,800 sq. ft.
The music side comes from
a subscription service that allows the operator to download
new music weekly and program it.
Record covers are used as
wall décor, he says, noting
that “people have a real connection to them.” Signed guitars are on the walls of some
of the franchised stores. “We
encourage that, an one has
guitars from the Beach Boys,
Fleetwood Mac and Bon
ROCK ’N’JOE
Continued on
page 10
for customer service, and a
love of coffee, great food and
rock music,” who have a minimum net worth of $250,000
and $80,000 in liquid assets.
The initial cost of a franchise ranges from $241,000
to $373,000 and includes the
build-out and certain start-up
costs, plus the initial franchi-
FSE
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Wintertide 2010 • Foodservice East 3
B
OSTON – Blend
together one highpowered real estate maven who
understands restaurant ‘execution’ from the
perspectives of both operator
and developer, and a British group of diversified dining establishments looking
to expand its presence in the
Northeast and you get Bistro
du Midi, a handsome brasserie paying tribute to the foods
of Provence in this city’s Back
Bay.
The recipe was created to
fit the needs of today’s diners
for comforting yet stylish food
in a chic, sophisticated ambience with affordable price
points.
Bistro du Midi is a joint
venture of Ken Himmel, president of New York’s Related
Companies, and London’s
MARC (Marlon Abela Restaurant Corp.) Limited.
Himmel and MARC’s Marlon Abela who opened a second unit of his Italian concept,
A Voce, at Time Warner Center late last year, immediately
MARC plans to
bring Japanese
concept, Umu, to
NYC later this year
scoring a two star review from
The New York Times, first met
in Manhattan.
A Voce Columbus, with its
simple but well executed rustic Italian fare, was MARC’s
third US restaurant, joining
A Voce in the city’s Madison
Square Park and Morello Bistro, with a mix of Mediterranean/Italian influenced fare,
in Greenwich, CT.
In London, the group’s The
Greenhouse has been a Wine
Spectator Award winner. A
second establishment, Umu,
is the only Kaiseki Japanesestyle restaurant in London,
with an eight-course tasting menu. Abela, described
by some as a ‘quiet dynamo,’
plans to bring that concept
to New York late this year or
next, and to open another A
Voce in London in the second
quarter as well.
Himmel is known here for
opening the city’s first New
York-style steakhouse, Grill
23, and later The Harvest in
Cambridge; while Manhattan
knows him as the developer
of the high-rise ‘mall’ at the
Time Warner Center with a
stable of high-end signature
restaurants.
He’s also remembered for
partnering in 2002, with Chef
Lydia Shire to create Excelsior (formerly Shire’s Biba), but
the ‘marriage’ was not made
in heaven. They split in 2005
and the high-end restaurant
closed abruptly last year.
“The feel and the concept
were not where the times
were,” says Himmel. “When
we created it, it was an international cuisine restaurant
that was expensive for Boston.” Today, says Himmel, who
opened Bistro du Midi and
Post 390, an ‘urban tavern’
late last year, diners no longer
want to show off extravagantly, ordering pricey entrees
and $100-plus bottles of wine.
That era is over and today,
operators must work hard to
engage and retain customers.
Both new concepts, he declares, are about “comfort
food, not a Barbara Lynchstyle creation of a small boutique French restaurant” and
have average per person tabs
in the $55 range.
Opening two at the same
time, he admits, was a risk,
but Himmel has never been
known for being averse to
risk-taking.
MARC likes high profile
sites and was immediately
drawn to Himmel Hospitality
Group’s Boylston St. location,
which overlooks Boston Common. At Bistro du Midi, the
downstairs bar has a wall of
windows that open out and
spring will bring a patio on
Boylston St.
The restaurant seats 120
upstairs, 40 in the downstairs
BISTRO DU MIDI
Himmel Hospitality brings Provencal
brasserie to Boston
Bistro du Midi
opens with
British partner
4
FOOD
FOR
Thought
A culinary
dialogue
of current
perspectives
and techniques
At Boston’s
Aquitaine,
a chef
returns to
his roots
B
OSTON – Matt
Gaudet, chef de
cuisine at Aquitaine Bar a Vin
Bistro, The Aquitaine Group’s classic concept
in this city’s South End, grew
up in New England but brings
his own personal style (he
calls it refined simplicity) to
the plates he’s dishing up for
guests.
By a series of accidents he
found his way into the industry, beginning at age 15 when,
trying to save the money to
buy a car, he took a job washing dishes. Some years later,
following graduation from college, he headed west to visit
the sister of an old friend in
Colorado – a stay that lengthened to three or four years and
launched his career.
“I began working as a prep
cook and did a series of minor stations, and then went
to Grass Mountain Grill in
Beaver Creek which was the
first fine dining restaurant I’d
worked in. I realized how interesting food could be – the
science and the artistry of it. I
saw that it was more than flipping burgers or making sauce.
You cooked something and
there was a tangible result,
and it was gratifying.”
“It was the first time I saw
nice food that was actually
displayed in an elegant manner,” he explains. “It had all
the things I wanted as far as a
job goes—hands on, scientific,
mindful, yet soulful. I never
looked back since.”
Returning to the Northeast, he enrolled at the Cambridge School of Culinary
Arts, and after graduation,
Chez Henri, starting on the
career path that would take
him ultimately to Manhattan.
There, he had the good fortune
to find a number of high-end
mentors such as Danny Meyer
and Kerry Heffernan, JeanGeorges Vongerichten and
Marcus Samuelsson and Nils
Norén.
“I learned a lot,” he recalls,
telling a story of how Vongerichten could “tear my head off
one minute and two hours later, be the most encouraging,
supportive mentor you could
ever want.”
Aquavit former Executive
Chef Nils Norén taught him
to try everything. “Even if you
failed, you succeeded by try-
Drawn to the
industry by
accident, Gaudet
was hooked by
what he calls “the
science and the
artistry” of it…
ing, and we did some of the
most interesting food in the
city, and Marcus (Samuelsson) was the kind of guy who’d
want you to look to the arts
and entertainment and what’s
going on in the world and
make them part of your food.”
Tired of the Big Apple’s
“bump and grind,” he decided
to return to New England after nearly a decade and interviewed at Gaslight, moving
back to open the restaurant
and re-connecting with The
Aquitaine Group.
“New York restaurants but
many have tried and true formulas that they adhere to,
and you want to keep pushing
forward, inspiring the people
around you and researching
the past.”
Now at Aquitaine, he’s creating “straightforward French
peasant style food with a New
England twist. It’s a beautiful
space and it’s nice to captain
it.”
His dishes contain “sparks
of acid - we’re seeing a lot of
vinegar and citrus and creating good with bright notes.
My food has clean and bold
flavors,”
Gaudet uses numerous less
expensive cuts such as pig’s
feet or sweetbreads that may
not be familiar to the customer. “You try not to make
it seem scary,” he explains.
“These foods taste good. Peo-
ple want to eat nice dishes,
but today, many food costs are
going through the roof. Fish
sustainability issues have
pushed up prices. There are
concerns about how cattle and
chickens are raised. We want
responsibility.”
Simple peasant-style cuts
of meat, he adds, “force you
to be creative in making them
polished and presentable.
They are heartier cuts of meat
and you’re bringing back Old
World classic charm. It’s the
elegance of simple food.”
His dishes remain true to
classical bistro fare – steak
frites, filet a poivre, mussels and pan-roasted chicken.
Appetizers run from $6.95
to $12.95 while entrées are
priced from $20.95 to $28.95
Technique, says Gaudet, is
critical and can bring a chef “a
lot more than merely throwing foie gras and truffles on a
plate…not that I don’t like to
AQUITAINE’S GOUGERES
3 c. whole milk
2 T. plus 2 t. kosher salt
3 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
Pinch cayenne pepper
10 extra-large eggs
2 extra-large egg yolks
18 oz. gruyere cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring milk, salt and butter
and to a boil in a large stainless steel sauce pan. Combine
flour and cayenne pepper and add to the boiling mixture.
Stir the mixture for about 5 minutes to eliminate raw-flour
taste. The mixture should come away from the sides of the
pot and should appear curdled. Place in a mixing bowl and
mix on medium to cool dough to room temperature. Dough
should look broken and greasy. With the mixer running,
add eggs and yolks one at a time until smooth dough has
formed. After all eggs are incorporated, add cheese and
mix to combine. Portion the dough into a pastry bag with
a plain tip and pipe out quarter-sized rounds onto a baking sheet. Bake 18-20 minutes, rotating halfway through.
Gougeres should be dark golden brown. If not thoroughly
cooked, they will collapse after they have cooled. Makes
about 16 to 20 gougeres.
Less expensive
cuts and
clean bold flavors
make up
the offerings at
Aquitaine
eat foie gras and truffles!”
Boston as a food community is very different, he points
out, from Manhattan, with its
large base of international and
moneyed tourists and travelers. “It doesn’t compare, but
it’s good because it is small.”
He anticipates that this
year will be a good one with
operators “continuing on a
M
att
Gaudet
blends
technique
with
creativity
money savings path, but offering great experiences. Today, it’s more about people
and that’s something Danny
Meyer is really good at. His
restaurants are molded on
hospitality and that’s what we
are all about. Your servers can
make or break the deal with
the customer. You always have
to communicate to them what
you’re doing and what the food
is about.”
The dining experience offers the guest a place to escape from daily stresses, he
adds. “What makes someone
choose a restaurant over all
the other options? I want to
reward them for making that
choice with a memorable experience.”
Chef Gaudet’s Recipe for
Seared Sea Scallops
With baby lettuce, pickled gooseberries, kohlrabi confit
and beet jus
For 4 people
Pickled Goose
1 cup sugar
2 cup champagne vin
3 cups water
1 tsp black peppercorn
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp salt
1 pc fresh bay leaf
2 pt gooseberry
Put all ingredients in pot except gooseberries. Bring to
boil then strain. When no longer hot add gooseberries.
Kohlrabi Confit
2 lg kohlrabi
3 cups olive oil
1 sm bunch thyme
Peel kohlrabi, cut into 1” cubes (12 total)
Cover with oil and add thyme. Simmer until tender.
Keep warm
Beet Jus
1 roasted red beet
3 tbl olive oil
1 tbl sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
Chop roasted beet and add to blender. Add enough water
to blend smooth. Add vin then oil until emulsified. Season to taste.
Baby lettuce- mix
1 tbl lemon juice
20 u10 scallops
2 tbls butter
3 sprig thyme
Dress lettuces with lemon and salt and pepper. Season
and sear scallops. Add butter, thyme, and gooseberries
for 1 min and then remove from pan.
To plate, sauce with beet jus, place 3 cubes of kohlrabi on plate then scallops (5 Each). Make little nests
of greens in between and randomly place gooseberries
on top.
6
FSE
FoodTrak:
Navigating
the new
terrain
in casual
dining
Comfort
food
concepts
make
the
cut in
Portland
Harding Lee
Smith wants
customers to feel
at home in his
three “rooms”
P
ORTLAND – A native Mainer, Harding Lee Smith
grew up knowing
the role that restaurants can play in their
customers’ lives, creating a
gathering place and offering
‘comfort’ on a number of levels.
Today, he’s carving out his
own niche with a growing
group of restaurants, three
“rooms” – the Front Room,
Grill Room and Corner Room,
Keeping
it simple
works well
for Maine
chef-owner
during an era of $42 entrees.
As a line cook, he focused on
his craft but later, looking
back, saw it as “not like the
real world.”
Back home in Portland, he
found that the city had highend restaurants and pubs. I
felt it needed a middle of the
road kind of place. There was
no meatloaf and pork chops
kind of place.”
His goal at The Front Room
was “new American comfort
food” for the neighborhood, a
place where guests felt like
they were in a friend’s living
room, and Munjoy Hill offered
the perfect location – a longtime blue-collar community
dating to the 1630’s, the area
underwent a renaissance,
becoming the new, hip place
to live, with art galleries,
neighborhood shops, a theater
and four independent coffeehouses. “People began redoing
homes. We had a built-in clientele.”
With an open kitchen and
quality ingredients – many
from the family farm – the
restaurant quickly garnered a
following.
His stint in Italy inspired
his second restaurant, the
Grill Room, downtown in the
Old Port with slightly higher
price points and a wood-fired
grill and pizza oven. All natural meats from a local purvey-
Customers
seeking
“quality,
not
fancy food”
His goal has been to keep
markups low and “hope for
steady volumes. On a Monday
night in August we may do
220 covers at the Grill Room,
and in the winter, it’s around
80.”
Cities such as Boston have
the population density to support a lot of restaurants, he
observes, “but here, you really
have to be on top of your game
to get your market share.”
This spring will be the
city’s second annual Restaurant Week promotion, which
Smith expects will be “huge.
It really gets people out of
their houses. We anticipate a
very busy summer. Last year
we saw lots of foodies visiting
Portland and a huge amount
of business from cruise ships
docking here. I see this sum-
mer being strong. The middle
range is definitely what people
are going for – they’re looking for a casual kind of place
that’s approachable, come as
you are, and they expect creative, bold flavors.”
Staying
on top of
one’s game
and
providing
consistency
is key
Fitting a concept to
the needs of its own
neighborhood pays off
or are a menu staple. Smith
estimates the average check
at between $10 to $12 at lunch
and $45 to $50 at dinner. Entrees are priced in the $28 to
$30 range in contrast to the
Front Room and Corner Room
where all entrées are under
$20. “We try not to be more
than we are,” declares Smith.
“We are good craftsmen producing simple, honest food.”
Smith’s newest operation,
The Corner Room Kitchen &
Bar opened last summer, creating a “cozy” gathering place
with an open kitchen and
“quality, not fancy, food” such
as moderately priced homemade pastas priced from $9 to
$15, pizzas at $13 to $156 and
$8 panini.
“I strive to keep prices
down,” the chef-owner says.
“We cook food correctly and
treat it simply. It’s why we’re
still growing.”
As dining moved into what
he calls a “less hedonistic”
era, Smith has been well positioned for the shift. This year’s
major challenge, he expects,
will be “a whole lot of competition. It’s important to maintain your base and keep doing
your own thing. We are seeing
people eat out a little less often and buying $30 wines instead of $50 bottles. You really
have to be consistent.”
each built around neighborhood needs and dedicated to
providing an affordable, comfortable dining experience
with high quality food. Five
years of solid growth has led
him to be optimistic about the
future.
Restaurants played a role
in his life from the beginning,
he recalls. “My dad was a
partner in an Ogunquit restaurant when I was growing
up and I used to help with desserts. I always cooked, helped
with family dinner, and went
I went to Boston University, I
started out in hotel administration.”
A part-time cooking stint,
however, lured him back to
the kitchen. “I loved it,” he
says simply. Moving to the
West Coast after college, he
took courses at the Culinary
Institute of America in St.
Helena, honing his skills, and
later traveled to Venice, Italy
where he continued cooking
as an apprentice before relocating to Maui, Hawaii. After
six years as chef of various
restaurants, the lure of “family and Red Sox” drew him
back to Maine in 2003 and two
years later, he embarked on
his dream of opening a casual
neighborhood spot.
In the late 90’s in Hawaii,
he recalls, he was cooking
New Year’s Greetings
ANTHONY’S PIER 4
140 Northern Avenue, Boston
ANTHONY’S PIER 4 CAFÉ &
HAWTHORNE BY THE SEA TAVERN
153 Humphrey Street, Swampscott
ANTHONY’S CUMMAQUID INN
Route 6A, Yarmouth Port (Cape Cod)
Anthony Athanas, President
8
Crazy Dough’s plans slow, steady growth this year
B
OSTON - Doug
Ferriman, owner
of
the
awardwinning
Crazy
Dough’s Pizza in
the Back Bay and Harvard
Square, has a goal – to capitalize on the innovative concept
he’s created over the past 12
years and expand it.
A third unit opened last
summer in the food court at
the Transportation Building
in Park Square, and he’s negotiating for a lease in Brighton. “I want one more by this
summer,” he says, “and three
more in 2011. We want to be
the definition of pizza fast.”
After reaching a core of
seven stores, Ferriman projects, he’ll be ready to start a
franchise program to bring his
signature fire-grilled™, brick
oven and Sicilian variations to
a broader audience.
Down the road, he’s eyeing
growth into non-traditional
sites such as airports, college
and university campuses, and
malls.
Crazy Dough’s was voted
America’s #1 Pizza at the International Pizza Expo in
Awardwinning,
hand-tossed
pizzas
targeted to
students,
office workers
& catering
both 2004 and 2007, and was
Northeast Champion in 2008
at the International Pizza
Challenge.
F e r r i man cooked
“all the way
through college,”
he
says, and after traveling
in
Europe
and spending time in
Italy, was inspired to create a business
plan
for a fast
casual pizza operation to “fill
the need for innovative pizza
in Boston.”
The Park Square unit, the
first in a food court, offers 22
choices of gourmet pizza by
the slice as well as pies with
classic and eclectic topping options. “We have three styles,
brick oven, Sicilian and our
new fire-grilled™,” says Ferriman. The dough is grilled
over an open flame to impart
a smoky flavor. “We make a
personal pizza in five minutes.
Red CapeSM Service. Only From Taylor®.
FROZEN DESSERTS FROZEN BEVERAGE GRILLED SPECIALTIES
1030 University Avenue Norwood, MA 02062
P: 781.551.4450 or 800.245.4002 www.taylornewengland.com
New England Food Show, #3133, 3143
The Sicilian pizza is made
with dough that’s risen twice
and is light and airy.”
He estimates the average volume
at
anywhere from
$500,000
for the food
court model
to $800,000
for
standalone units.
The average
check is between $6.50
and $6.75.
S a l e s
need to be a
mix of slices and pies, along
with 25 percent from delivery
(which is outsourced) and 10
percent catering, Ferriman
says. Corporate catering represents an opportunity he is
eager to tap into more fully.
“Pizza is a solid performer
and we’ve created a great
program,” he says. “We’re the
next generation of concepts.
Our goal is to create an exciting high quality alternative.”
Premium ingredients, he
adds, are what sets the concept apart. “We use the best
100 percent all natural Mozzarella cheese, vine ripened
tomato sauce, fresh produce,
meats roasted in house and a
choice of stone-ground wheat
or high-protein white doughs
that are made fresh daily and
never frozen.”
Pizzas run the gamut from
classics such as the Meat Lover’s with sausage, pepperoni
and ground beef, to the Nutty
Tuscan, a white pie topped with
oven-roasted plum tomatoes,
carmelized onion, roasted garlic,
toasted pine nuts, and crumbled
Gorgonzola cheese with fresh
basil and pesto. Another specialty pizza is the Buffalo Chicken
& Bacon with hot sauce and
blue cheese on request.
Also available are freshly
chopped salads, calzones and
signature sandwiches such as
meatball, pastrami, eggplant
and Old World sausage.
The biggest challenge as
the company grows, he declares, is people. “People are
always the biggest – you can
have a great system and product, but you always need to be
able to execute.”
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The
One MOnth Left BefOre
the ShOw... reGISter
tODAY & SAve!
reTail
Food
Pre-register online or by phone and save up
to 50% off using priority code 100251.
Online: www.nefs-expo.com
Phone: 972-620-3017
The New England Food Show is built with your
customer in mind. From restaurant to supermarket, the local deli, bakery and everything in
between, the robust show floor offers you the
chance to find exactly what you need for your
business no matter what you serve or where
you serve it.
equipmenT
Entice and revitalize your new and existing
customers with:
•
•
•
•
New & innovative products
Fresh new menu items
Creative pre-packaged foods
The equipment to make it all happen
Sponsored by:
Co-located with:
Produced by Diversified Business Communications
In three days, you can make all of your purchasing decisions, learn about trends in the industry,
enjoy a variety of special events and have fun.
Boston, MA | March 14–16, 2010
For exhibiting information contact Beth Schultz at 207.443.3083
Show hours:
Sunday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Monday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Tuesday: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
www.nefs-expo.com
10 Foodservice East • Wintertide 2010
Expo East
PRODUCTS
An array of products
displayed at the Natural
Products EXPO East
Gaea offers
Mediterranean Greek
cooking sauces
cultures and a European recipe.
The line includes non-fat, whole
milk and multi grain. Choose from
black currant, plum, strawberry,
raspberry, peach, blueberry, vanilla and cherry. A plain yogurt
is available in whole milk as well.
The company also offers a Multi
Grain™ version in six fruit flavors
- apple/pear, plum, strawberry,
apricot, raspberry and peach. Visit
www.lowelldairy.com.
Daphne Baking
introduces new tart
flavors
Daphne Baking Co. introduces
new tarts in its signature all-butter crusts filled with Macadamia
Nut, Pumpkin, and Chocolate fillings. The chocolate is made in a
chocolate crust filled with French
Valrhona chocolate ganache,
while Pumpkin in a butter crust
has pumpkin custard filling and
Macadamia Nut contains a mix of
brown sugar, Hawaiian nuts, and
artisanal maple syrup. Go to www.
daphnebaking.com.
Gaea Products S.A. introduces
Mediterranean Greek sauces, olives, award-winning Carbon Neutral extra virgin olive oils and,
tapenades in six savory varieties.
Experience the “meze” cultural
culinary fare Visit www.gaea.gr for
more detailed product information.
Lowell European
Classic™ yogurt line
debuts
Lowell International Foods introduces European Classic™ yogurt,
a line of creamy probiotic yogurts
in eight flavors made with fruits
sourced in Europe and rBST-free
milk from Wisconsin, plus live
House Foods America’s line of
tofu-based products include Tofu
Shirataki Noodles, made from
Konjac (yam) flour with tofu. The
healthy, uniquely-textured noodle
weighs in at only 20 calories and
has three grams of carbs per serving. The company’s tofus are organic and come in four different
firmness levels. Also new are Tofu
Burger Patties, a seasoning package to mix with tofu.
Earth Balance
showcases new soy
free spread
Earth Balance, the line of healthy
buttery spreads, introduces a new
all-natural, vegan soy free spread
designed for people with food
intolerances with no trans fats,
hydrogenated oils or artificial ingredients. The Soy Free Spread
also contains important Omega-3s.
Visit www.earthbalancenatural.
com to learn about the company’s
full line of healthy spreads, shortenings and nut butters.
Lammsbrau Organic
Pillsner and Dunkel
introduced
Europe’s first organic brewery,
Lammsbrau, introduces new Organic Pilsner and Dunkel beers
brewed in Bavaria by a company
dating to 1626. Pristine water from
its own well is used. The Pilsner
is a German-style lagel with a balance of gentle malt flavor and hop
bitterness, while the Dunkel is a
smooth, creamy dark Bavarian lager. The beers are imported by St.
Killian Importing Co., Plymouth,
MA.
Pasta alternatives and
more made with tofu
Grandy Oats
intros new
organic granola &
packaging
Grandy Oats introduces new
packaging, replacing plastic
pouches with more eco-friendly
yogurt-cup style containers that
are reusable and dishwashersafe. Also new is Goji Agave Granola, with 27 grams per serving
of whole grains sweetened
with organic fructose-based
agave nectar with Goji berries,
cranberries and jumbo raisins.
Serve for breakfast or as a topping for yogurt, ice cream and
fruit. For more information go
to www.grandyoats.com.
Soft, pliable tortillas
certified vegan and
Kosher
Ciao Bella
introduces single
serve cups
Guilt-free indulgence from Ciao
Bella is now available in 3.5
oz. single serve cups, providing easy portion control while
offering portability for on the
go snacking. Choose from such
flavors as Turkish Pistachio,
Chocolate Alba Hazelnut, and
Sicilian Blood Orange. Single
serve cups are packed 12 to the
case. Visit www.ciaobella.com.
sodium nitrite. The sausages are
made with full 12 hour fermentation and are shelf stable for six
months until opened. Visit www.
vtsmokeandcure.com.
Orca Bay introduces
flavored butter
seafood items
Orca Bay Seafood introduces new
microwaveable frozen seafood
items with flavored butters that
reduce cooking time by almost 50
percent. Choose from salmon with
roasted pepper, Tuscan Herb Butter or Spicy Terayaki; Tilapia or
Mahi Mahi with Chili Lime Butter or Flounder with Hollandaise
Sauce. Go to www.orcabayfoods.
com.
Classic rock
‘n roll with
serious
coffee
ROCK ‘N JOES
Continued from page 2
Jovi. We also work with a
company that makes gold records for collectors and are a
distributor, selling the records
and posters.”
The average check runs
around $8.17, says Brennan
who created a menu with
whole grain breads and panini sandwiches, fresh field
greens salads, and quiches.
Breakfast is also available,
with “egg scrambles, croissant
French toast, and store-baked
muffins and scones.”
The biggest challenge in
growing the concept, he declares, is finding motivated
managers and keeping up
consistency among the franchisees.
“Ours is serious coffee –
latte art and high standards.
We’ve won a Golden Cup from
SCCA several times. We offer
a large dessert selection with
a foot-high, seven layer chocolate cake, cheesecake and
more. Guests can spend anywhere from three to four dollars for a cookie and coffee or
$20 to $25 for coffee and more
elaborate desserts.”
Maria & Ricardo’s Tortilla Factory
tortillas, part of Harbar LLC, blend
Mexican tradition and professional
food manufacturing practices to
create all natural organic products. The tortillas use unbleached,
enriched wheat flour and are trans
fat free, vegan and GMO free. Go to
www.mariaandricardos.com.
Full fermentation
forges flavor in line of
sausages
Made from old recipes, VT Smoke
and Cure summer sausage contains naturally grown pork and
beef, raised without antibiotics or
Adina introduces two new beverage varieties
Adina for Life introduced two
new varieties in its new line of
organic and sustainable beverages known as “Adina Holistics”
– Pomegranate Acai and Grape-
fruit Goji. They join five other
herbal-infused beverages created by Adina Holistics whose
tagline is “Drink No Evil.”
In today’s
world,
operators
must create
a buzz
apples, grapes, quince and
ginger bread ($21). Three
pâtes range from $17 to $19.
Entrees (Mer et Terre) run
from $23 for roasted monkfish with artichokes, shallots,
thyme and capers to $32 for
the seared venison tenderloin
with quince, root vegetables
and chestnuts.
Additionally, a Plat au Four is
offered – a roasted chicken with
ricotta and lemon for two ($38).
A separate downstairs bar
menu offers Petite Bouchées
and Premiers Plats throughout the day and five Plats
Principaux from $9 (Proven-
cal Lamb Cannelloni) to $15
(roasted chicken breast with
corn, rosemary and sweet
black olives). Sunday Brunch
is also available, with brunch
items priced from $9 to $13.
BISTRO DU MIDI
bar area and 20 to 30 on the
seasonal patio. “We want phenomenal quality at great price
points,” says Abela who calls
the concept “an authentic reflection of Provence suited to
an urban environment.”
Signed Matisse and Picasso
lithographs grace the walls
and a fireplace casts a glow on
the upstairs room. The menu
and design are intended to
evoke the simplicity and beauty of Provence, and an executive chef from MARC’s London
restaurants was flown over to
help with staff training.
“We don’t cut corners,”
says Abela, who sees the biggest challenge in opening new
restaurants as one of staffing.
“We go all the way. The food
must be executed perfectly
and the technical ability of the
chef is what I judge a prospec-
Boston Showcase Company SUPPLIES
Boston
ALL TYPES OF RESTAURANTS IN GREATER
We Offer:
tive chef on.” When Robert
Sisca, sous chef at New York’s
Le Bernadin, came on board,
Abela and Sisca traveled to
Provence together to explore
the food.
The menu offer a variety of
options from Petites Bouchées
– tiny tastes – such as green
and black olives ($5) and eggplant and olive dip with crostini ($6) to a $12 selection of
charcuterie.
Premiers Plats – 12 appetizers ranging from chestnut soup with crème fraiche
($8) and Nicoise Salad with
house made confit tuna ($15)
to seared foie gras with green
• Commercial Kitchen
Design
• Heavy and Light Duty
Restaurant Equipment
• Kitchen Supplies
• Tabletop Items
• Restaurant Furniture
Boston Showcase Company
proudly supplied and installed kitchen
equipment at Bistro du Midi in Boston.
Since 1913, the Starr family has owned
and operated BSC. Our commitment
to service is what sets us apart.
Bistro du Midi - Boston, MA
(O) 617-965-1100 • (F) 617-965-6326 • www.bostonshowcase.com
IRFSNY_FoodserviceEast:Layout 1
12/21/09
10:11 AM
Page 1
NEW Trends
February 28 – March 2, 2010
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
New York, New York
Gain a FRESH Perspective on Your Business
™
NEW Ideas
NEW Products
The ONLY event in New York exclusively serving
the restaurant and foodservice industry.
Register now by calling (888) 334-8705 or visit www.internationalrestaurantny.com!
— NYSRA PRESENTS —
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Taste of the Nation set for April 8 in Boston
BOSTON – Taste of the National, the Share Our Strength
Boston fundraising event, takes place here April 8 at Hynes
Convention Center, celebrating its 20th anniversary. VIP
tickets are $135 in advance or $145 at the door, while general admission is $85 in advance and $95 on site. Visit http://
strength.org/boston/
INDUSTRY
Norwell catering firm changes hands
NORWELL, MA – Gimme The Skinny, a local catering operation, changed hands recently and was sold to John Moore of
Navy Yard Bistro, Charlestown, MA and Allison DeLorenzo,
executive chef of The Plated Gourmet in Charlestown and Cohasset, who plan a retail prepared foods to go outlet.
Discover New England Summit planned for mid-April
NEWPORT, RI – Discover New England Summit, a tourism
and international marketplace, will be held here April 19-21
at the Marriott Hotel. For details, go to [email protected] or call 603-766-0606.
Culinary Institute updates and expands soup cookbook
HYDE PARK, NY – The Culinary Institute of America has
updated and expanded a cookbook featuring soups. The New
Book of Soups, published by Lebhar-Friedman, contains all
the recipes and techniques from the original Book of Soups,
but with more recipes, techniques and new color photographs.
The New Book of Soups is filled with over 160 new and improved soup recipes created by the chefs at The CIA. A chapter on Accompaniments helps chefs add the ideal touches to
each recipe. Make Thai hot and sour soup, Vietnamese water
spinach and beef soup, and many more. For more information
contact: Trina Kaye – The Lisa Ekus Group / 310-915-0970 or
e-mail /[email protected].
New England Food Show offers new and green products
BOSTON – Attend the New England Food Show, March 1416 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, co-locating
with the International Boston Seafood Show. A special highlight is the New and Green Products Pavilion with everything
from food items to kitchen equipment. Go to www.nefs-expo.
com for complete details.
Original Boloco site moves to larger Back Bay location
BOSTON – Boloco, which begn life here in the Back Bay as
The Wrap at 137 Massachusetts Ave. in 1997, has moved to
Boylston St. to an expanded space for up to 80 customers, compared to 18 at the original site.
Compass integrates KIMCO and Eurest Services USA
WAYNE, PA – Compass Group recently integrated KIMCO
Corp. and Eurest Services, naming former KIMCO CEO John
Barrett president of Eurest Services USA. The unified organization will serve clients with a wider range of facilities solutions and locations. Eurest Services will bring a mix of soft
support services to the marketplace, along with a commitment to quality and value. The company will have presence
in 49 states and will support over 1,000 corporate clients in
the US, in the corporate facilities, retail, manufacturing, energy, pharmaceutical, and other industries.
Chris Parsons to open new concept & relocate Catch
WINCHESTER, MA – Chris Parsons, chef/owner of Catch,
plans to relocate the restaurant to Boston or Cambridge and
open a new, more moderately priced concept on the original
site. Parsons Table will be a neighborhood spot with locally
sourced comfort food classics and lower price points. Plans
call for opening by late February with rustic reclaimed wood
tabletops, barnwood siding accents and new lighting and
window treatments.
DiningIn comes of age, plans growth
B
OSTON – DiningIn, celebrating 21
years of delivering
high quality restaurant meals to
residential and business clients, is finding a positive twist
to a down economy as customers turn to takeout as an option to dining away from home.
“People are doing more
takeout,” says Founder Michael Hackel whose original
vision of a Boston delivery service has grown to include four
other metropolitan markets –
Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas
and Denver.
“We are definitely poised
to expand our model,” he discloses. “The recession has been
an interesting time. Companies are no longer subsidizing
lunches 100 percent but they
are doing dinner to incentivize
employees. We created a virtual cafeteria to bring in restaurants. It acts as a human
resources tool.”
This allows the company to
be less reliant on its residential community, he explains.
“They still go out once a week
but now it may be the DiningIn experience.”
Major chains such as
Cheesecake Factory, Lettuce
Entertain You and Stephen
Starr Restaurants have embraced the DiningIn “channel,”
says Hackel. “It’s a powerful
partnership. We expand the
footprint of the local community. Restaurants typically don’t
focus on the corporate community. We built our value proposition by being a sales engine.
We preserve their brand in the
community.”
Twenty years ago, “our concept was not understood. Now,
we are looking to increase the
sales channel and become a
bigger part of restaurants, and
restaurateurs are looking to
increase sales without cost. We
are planning to introduce new
products by the spring of 2010
and we’re looking at New York.”
“In the beginning, we focused on catering, but now,
we’re using proprietary technologies. An administrator will
send a viral e-vite and the company may subsidize or pay for
the orders. People are invited
to a social environment, a
“great room,” for the office and
it’s easy to participate.”
Now, DiningIn also has
a “pre-fixe” option that’s designed for corporate customers
for groups of 20 to 40 employees. The program functions as
a “virtual cafeteria” and allows the customer to log into
his or her account and create
a schedule of restaurants that
deliver on specific days. Employees place their lunch order
on line from one or more of the
pre-selected restaurants for a
price including a small delivery
fee and the tip, and meals are
delivered at a designated time.
It’s a real shining light in this
economy and employees love it
when they’re working late.”
A major hospital, he adds,
recently “signed us up as a cafeteria and we can deliver food.
Large chains
partner with
DiningIn and
are connected
to corporate
communities
“We preserve
brands,” says
Hackel
It’s very easy, sexy and focused
and it’s something new for a
lot of companies. We can be an
alternative, a win for both the
employer and the employee.”
Other options, available for
both residential and business
customers, manage orders
for client meetings, employee
lunches, holiday parties and
more. A separate option allows
organizing catered events from
restaurants with that capability. The ‘a la carte’ option lets
users place orders for anywhere from one to 2,000 individual meals.
Hackel estimates the company delivers between 15,000
to 20,000 meals a week compared to 1,000 meals 20 years
ago. Ninety percent of the
business comes over the web,
although some comes in from
concierge desks. “They’ll ask
us to get the best value.”
He estimates that for one
large chain, DiningIn brings in
$500,000 to $700,000 per unit
with no capital expense, and
for one independent restaurant group, the partnership
means “an extra $20,000 to
$30,000 a month.”
Non-dairy frozen dessert
from Coconut Bliss
Gluten Free
PRODUCTS
Three new gluten free
breads have whole
grain stamp
Nine “heavenly
desserts” are gluten free
Moondance offers “heavenly desserts” in nine varieties – all gluten
free. Choose from rich fudge, walnut or buttery blonde brownies, or
pick classic, chocolate chip, butter toffee, lemon curd, raspberry
ribbon or pumpkin cheesecake.
For more information, go to www.
moondancedesserts.com.
Wheat-free, gluten free
pizza crust shelf-stable
Rustic Crust introduces pizza crusts
with no wheat, gluten or dairy,
guaranteed shelf stable for 120
days. With 45 percent of Americans
exhibiting food allergies or intolerance, offer menu options to meet
their needs. The hand-formed pizza
crusts provide great-tasting alternatives with no saturated or trans
fats. Visit www.rusticcrust.com.
French Meadow Bakery introduces three new gluten free breads
including multi-grain, sandwich
bread and cinnamon raisin. MultiGrain bread. Multi-Grain is made
with a gluten free whole-grain
blend of amaranth, quinoa, millet,
sorghum, and teff, and sweetened
with a touch of organic honey. The
product carries the “whole-grain”
stamp, which is found only on a limited amount of products in the gluten free marketplace and provides
four grams of protein and three
grams of fiber per slice. The line is
also free from lactose, casein, peanut, tree nuts, and preservatives,
and an independent laboratory
periodically tests and verifies the
company’s allergen claims. The
extensive gluten-free portfolio includes breads, pizza crust, tortillas,
rolls, brownies, cookies, muffins, cakes, and cupcakes. For
information, go to www.frenchmeadow.com.
Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss is
said to be the fastest growing nationally distributed non-dairy frozen dessert in the US and is soy
free, agave sweetened, gluten free,
certified organic, low glycemic,
vegan and kosher. Available in 10
flavors including Naked Coconut,
Mint Galactica, Cherry Amaretto
and Chocolate Peanut Butter, the
dessert line is made with Fair
Trade ingredients and comes 8/
PT to the case. Visit www.coconutbliss.com.
Seven cereals in luxury
organic product line
Gluten Free Foods Ltd. presents
seven organic cereals among its
product offerings of 50 dedicated
gluten and wheat free items. Organic Porridge is the company’s
top seller, or select from Muesli,
Breakfast Pops, Chocolate Rice
Crunchies, Cornflakes, Chocolate
Rice Crunchies or Chocolate Cornflakes. The British company also
makes Kosher gluten free pretzels,
matzos, honey cake and coffee
biscuits as well as its Barkat label
digestive biscuits, coffee biscuits,
ginger cookies and Gman “ginger
bread” cookies, all containing less
than 20 ppm of gluten. A new addition is gluten free pasta in “alphabet shapes” and “animal shapes.”
Go to www.glutenfree-foods.co.uk.
Kettle Cuisine offers four new gluten free soups
Offer more alternatives to customers with celiac disease with
four new organic soups, all gluten
free, from Kettle Cuisine. Soups
include Organic Carrot & Coriander, Organic Chick Pea & Spinach Soup with Cream, Organic
Katz gluten free breads, challah,
rugelach, challah rolls, cookies
and marble cake are manufactured in a certified gluten free
facility in Monroe, NY. The company is expanding distribution
in the US, Canada and the UK
and recently added new wholesome breads such as the gluten
free Hamotzie oat rolls and
honey muffins. Get great taste
and flavor in gluten free baked
goods. For more information,
visit www.katzglutenfree.com.
Two new pastas added
to Caesar’s Pasta lineup
Caesar’s Pasta Products, a third
generation family business for 43
years, introduces new gluten free,
all natural vegan pastas to its line
– potato gnocchi and spinach potato gnocchi, both rich in flavor,
what free, gluten free and containing no animal products. The pastas
include noodles made with rice
and cook in two or three minutes.
The company uses only the finest
ingredients in its USDA, HACCP
compliant facility. Visit www.caesarspasta.com
1,000 GlutenFree Recipes
Carol Fenster, John Wiley & Sons, $35.00
Carol Fenster, an expert on
gluten-free cooking who is herself sensitive to gluten protein
in wheat, adds 1,000 Recipes
for Gluten-Free Cooking to her
previous seven books including three with a similar focus.
Founder and president of Savory
Palate, Inc., her mission is offering information for gluten-free
lifestyles. For those who think
cooking for persons with wheat
allergies, gluten intolerance or
celiac disease is complicated,
she smoothes the way with this
comprehensive collection of recipes, many of them vegetarian.
In addition to recipes for a large
number of breakfast dishes,
breads, muffins, and pastas, she
offers recipes for salads, soups,
appetizers, grains and beans,
seafood, poultry, meats, vegetables, and desserts. Tips on cooking with gluten-free ingredients
and other helpful information
make this a must for any kitchen.
Gluten free items with
a Latin twist
Gluten free tortilla chips
now certified vegan
FoodShouldTasteGood® received
“Best New Food” award top finalists status at Expo East last fall for
both its new Lime and Yellow Corn
Chips. The company’s line of tortilla chips are now certified vegan
and are also gluten free. Choose
from a variety of flavors from
Chocolate to Jalapeno to Sweet
Potato. Visit www.foodshouldtastegood.com.
Gluten free baked
goods expanding
distribution
to growing customer demand. The
mixes also include whole grain sorghum flour and may be creatively
adapted for multiple uses with the
addition of other ingredients. For
more information, visit www.bobsredmill.com.
Cream of Mushroom & Potato
and Organic Roasted Eggplant
& Tomato. All are refrigerated
and ready to heat, full strength,
packed two 8 lb. bags to the case.
Go to www.kettlecuisine.com.
JC Latin Taste introduces gluten
free authentic Latin appetizers
including Latin style wedges – vegetarian and vegan friendly corn
flour shells filled with a proprietary
blend of vegetables and spices;
Cheese Guajiras- a specially designed mixture of natural flours,
fresh farmers cheese, and a touch
of spices; and Hot Crazy Salsa,
homemade-style salsa with fresh,
hand-picked produce, completely
Tomato and preservative-free. Contact [email protected].
Cake and cookie mixes
from Bob’s Red Mill
Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods introduces new gluten free Vanilla Cake
Mix and gluten free Shortbread
Cookie Mix this year in response
Keep new gluten
free tortillas frozen
until use time
Maria and Ricardo’s introduces
new Wrappy gluten free/wheat
free tortillas to keep frozen until time of use. Warm the tortillas on a hot skillet or griddle
for about 30 seconds and turn
as needed. When soft and pliable, the tortilla is ready. Or
microwave wrapped in a cloth
or paper towel for 30 to 40 seconds. Visit www.harbar.com.
Operator awareness of gluten free needs grows
W
ith one in
25 persons
in America
reporting a
food allergy,
awareness of persons with digestive food ailments is on the
rise and many foodservice operators are beginning to find
ways to meet their needs as
manufacturers bring more gluten free products to market.
Celiac disease, a genetic ailment that affects the digestive
system, can lead to malnourishment and damage to the
small intestine as the result of
inability to tolerate gluten, the
protein part of wheat, rye, barley and other grains.
Addressing the needs of celiac sufferers and others early
on, Boston’s Uno Chicago Grill
became active five years ago in
introducing gluten free items
to its menu, says Executive
Chef Chris Gatto. “Our nutrition consultant identified it as
an up and coming trend.”
“We wanted to introduce a
gluten free pizza and worked
Metz Director of Culinary Development
Ryan McNulty is addressing growing needs
of celiac customers, offering more
gluten free products in school and
healthcare foodservice operations.
on it for a year to get it where
we wanted it. It had to taste
great. We had a lot of calls from
celiacs who wanted to be able
to order pizza and had had a
hard time getting great tasting
gluten free options.”
Uno continues to introduce
new items to the existing gluten free menu with 25 to 30
choices. “We’re working on several items as interest continues
to grow, and on the beverage
side, we just added a strawberry smoothie and a gluten free
beer, Red Bridge.”
Preparation of gluten free
fare necessitates strict procedures to avoid cross contamination in the kitchen, Gatto
points out. “Our cooks change
their gloves and there are no
bread items where they work.
They know if the order is gluten free and a manager visits
those tables to assure the customer that precautions are being taken.”
Uno plans to add a gluten
free pasta, Gatto says, noting
that “I think this is just going
to increase. More companies
are introducing gluten free
hamburger rolls, breads, pastas and desserts.”
This winter, Burger King,
with 12,000 restaurants worldwide, released a Gluten-Sensitive List, a listing of foods that
do not contain wheat, barley,
oats or rye. “We understand
that our guests have individual
dietary needs, and as part of
our Have It Your Way® brand
promise, Burger King offers
menu items for individuals
with gluten sensitivity,” says
Cindy Syracuse, senior director, cultural marketing. “With
our Gluten-Sensitive list, we’re
making it easier for our guests
to identify these choices.”
At The Common Market
Restaurants, a Quincy, MA
‘restaurant row,’ owner Greg
McDonald whose family business consists of a variety of
operations including a pub,
café, fine dining, food court and
function facilities, is noticing
increased demand for gluten
free fare.
“Our food court does a big
volume in takeout – 70 percent
of sales, and it started there.
We now have an all gluten free
category.”
Fifty percent of the menu,
he says, is a core of items while
the rest changes each month.
“We took a small section for
GLUTEN FREE
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O V E R
2 0
Y E A R S
Building
market
share
becomes
name of
the game
Job losses
and
the credit
crunch
continue
to hurt
Weathering
economic storm
tied to improving
job numbers
OUTLOOK
percent in 2010 compared to
minus 3.5 percent last year,
and real growth of minus 3.1
percent this year against minus 5.8 percent in ’09. The
numbers include sales of alcoholic beverages.
Positive numbers in the
Technomic forecast appear for
Retail Hosts – supermarket
foodservice, convenience stores
and all other retailers – with a
nominal growth of 2.2 percent
forecast this year versus 1.3
percent in ’09 and real growth
of 0.7 percent (’10) against minus 1.2 percent last year. Education – primary and secondary schools and colleges and
universities, are also expected
to be better this year with
nominal growth of 2.1 percent
compared to 3.2 percent in ’09
and real growth of 0.6 percent
this year against 0.7 percent
last year.
Meanwhile leading economic indicators, expected to
predict three to six months of
economic activity, are showing
signs that the recession may
have bottomed out.
Last October, talking about
holiday season projected sales,
James Russo, vice president
for global consumer insights
at the Nielsen Company, noted
that today’s ‘new normal’ is one
in which flat is good because
it indicates that the situation
won’t worsen.
In contrast to the 90’s when
double-digit sales gains were
not uncommon, now, “being up
one percent is an indicator that
you’re doing something right,”
says Technomic Vice President
Darren Tristano in Chicago.
He anticipates business to be
“pretty flat” in 2010 or even
down on a real basis. “It’s hard
to be optimistic. It will be three
to five years before we see significant growth.”
Other industry analysts,
such as Dennis Lombardi of
WD Partners, don’t expect
much growth in traffic this
year but note: “If you liked ’09,
you’ll like 2010. I don’t think it
will get much better until our
non-farm employment begins
to climb.”
Today, he says, “it’s a market share game. Those who
are executing incredibly well
will be okay. The best hope is
that by March, employment
will start to grow and we’ll
grow traffic. Those who have
survived so far will continue to
do so. Some have really pushed
the envelope to improve operations.”
At the National Restaurant
Association, the 2010 Forecast
calls for an unprecedented
drop in real sales for the third
consecutive year. While sales
are projected to advance 2.5
percent, that number slips to
real growth of one percent after adjustment for inflation.
“Inventiveness will shape
success,” says NRA, which
sees a gradual recovery and
stronger second half this year.
Here in the Northeast,
2010 sales are expected to rise
anywhere from 1.9 percent to
2.7 percent before inflation,
depending on the individual
state. Last year, the region
had pre-inflation sales totaling $80.7 billion, a number expected to reach 82,715,641 this
year.
Forecasters such as the
New England Economic Partnership expect the recovery
to be “slow and weak,” noting
that job losses will continue
through the fourth quarter
with unemployment peaking
at 9.4 percent.
Across the six-state region,
RI has been hit hard with unemployment rising to 13 percent last fall, well above the
national average. The state
also struggles with a budget
deficit.
Connecticut is expected to
be in a downturn for some time
with unemployment remaining high through 2013, NEEP
anticipates.
Vermont’s jobless rate is
lower than the other five states
and slow improvement is expected over the next few years,
while Massachusetts’ employment may not reach pre-recession levels until 2013. Maine
and New Hampshire could see
unemployment fall below nationwide levels.
Åt IHS Global Insight,
Lexington, MA, the forecast
anticipates a “slow economic
recovery” with more cautious
consumer spending because of
because of high debt burdens,
depleted wealth, tight credit
and weak labor markets.”
Longtime former restaurateur David Shinney of DCS Associates, LLC, a Boston-based
consulting firm, believes that
operators who who’ve become
sophisticated are “the ones
who are going to make it.”
He’s not seeing clear signs
that there’s been a shift in the
economic climate, but believes
that “those who can control
their business through cost
management, revenue building and marketing and have
concepts that are right for
their market while presenting
value” have the best chance for
survival. Other key factors, he
notes, include service, strong
food and beverage programs
and comfort in terms of interior design and décor.
S
hinney sees a growing role for consultants and other
experts in helping
operators navigate
the stormy economic environment.
Speaking last fall in Boston
at a gathering of women in
commercial real estate, Faith
Hope Consolo, chairman of
Prudential Douglas Elliman
Real Estate’s Retail Leasing,
Marketing and Sales Division,
called the past year “the worst
economic storm in decades,”
noting that while a full recovery still lies ahead, “we ‘re
starting to see an upturn that
will leave us well positioned
for the future.”
Looking ahead at the new
year recently, she predicts that
traditional comfort food such
as pizza will remain big as new
operators such as Pulino’s Bar
& Pizzeria open this winter
along with Francois Latapie
who’ll convert Café Bruxelles
into an as yet unnamed French
restaurant. Other traditional
outlets include Choptank, a
recently opened seafood spot,
and another new seafood place
from Saraghina’s owners, will
open in Bed-Stuy. “We’re seeing a lot of tradition right
now,” says Consolo.
At the same time, Tom Colicchio is changing his Craftsteak concept to a new, more
affordable format, Colicchio
& Sons, a sign of the times.
And last year, the city lost the
92-year-old Café des Artistes,
the LeRoy family’s Tavern on
the Green and Chanterelles.
Manhattan restaurants had
strong bookings in ’09, she continues, noting: “I’m not sure
frequency has been cut back
as much as many believe. Anecdotally, I’ve heard about the
greater concentration on value
and prix fixe is more popular
than ever. That $500 bottle of
wine is a lot more likely to remain in the cellar in favor of a
$35 cousin.”
Business lunches and corporate events were down
“greatly,” Consolo observes.
“Extravagence is not likely to
return anytime soon. Over the
top is out of style. Smart operators focused on giving more
for the money.”
In the past decade, some
of the city’s most venerated
establishments, among them
Le Côte Basque, La Caravelle,
Lutece, Café des Artistes, and
Tavern on the Green, closed
their doors.
New York Magazine writer
Adam Platt calls a period in
which pork belly replaced filet mignon. It was also, he believes, a time “when New York
finally found its own voice as a
restaurant town.” He sees the
new “prototype” as one that
serves comfort fare with a bar
where people eat as well as
drink. Technique prevails in
the kitchen, but the “alchemy”
coming out of that once lofty
sanctorum has changed. Platt
calls it “New York cooking.”
In the Boston area, Charlie
Perkins of Boston Restaurant
Group observes that 12 of the
Zagat Guide’s “Top 40” restaurants in 2000 are no longer in
business this year. “Rents are
up and same store sales are
flat. Chains expect rents to
run around six percent of sales
but landlords keep pushing
the bar, he points out. “There’s
a lot of uncertainty out there.
The ‘burbs are getting hammered.”
At Atlantic Restaurant
Group, Dan Newcomb is seeing many landlords trying to
work with operators to allow
them to stay open.
“Sales are soft and if they’re
flat, that’s the new up. Flat is
not the same today as it was in
2008 when it meant negative.
People are trying to hold on
but the early part of the week
is bad. Local neighborhood
joints are doing fine. People
feel comfortable going out in
jeans and a sweater.”
Adjustments
to continue
as operators
respond to
changes
in consumer
eating
patterns
At the same time, he says,
many people “are looking to
buy the right opportunity and
sometimes, don’t even need to
go to market. Thirty percent of
our deals don’t get on the market because a lot of buyers are
looking at real estate. And people laid off from other indus-
tries are buying coffee shops
and sandwich shops. In the
last 18 months, people have
really buckled down and held
on, but if it snows on a Fri. or
Sat. night, my phone rings off
the hook.”
O
perators such as
Marty
Bloom,
owner of Max
Stein’s, a Lexington,
MA
steakhouse, made the leap.
Bloom converted a high-end
suburban concept to a more
affordable Italian restaurant,
Palio’s.
He views the shift as “the
proper move considering the
exodus from steakhouses,”
but views the situation with
consumers as “still very dicey.
They still don’t feel recovered.
Everything they hold dear
home equity, job security and
retirement savings, are still
nowhere near pre-depression
levels. Free spending, which
has a lot to do with good times,
is still a long way off. They’ve
pulled back at a level I haven’t
seen in 30 years. The ‘burbs
are getting whacked. This
makes what happened in the
‘90s look like a blip.”
“Corporate/celebratory
business has been eliminated
or at best curtailed, as there’s
very little little to crow about.
People are misconstruing the
stock market stabilization
and banks paying back Tarp
money with recovery.” However, Bloom is cautiously optimistic, seeing “many signs of
strength,” but expects there’s a
long ways to go.”
Suburban operators were
hard hit last year, but in West
Newton, MA, Michael Leviton, owner of Lumiere, calls
it “okay, overall; about on par
with’08,” but with many ups
and downs.
He anticipates that “with
the exception of Barbara
Lynch’s Menton, I don’t expect
we’ll see a lot of higher end
stuff opening. It will be more
neighborhood and neighborhood-type places. Value oriented will be the key.”
Down in Providence, Chowhound Food Group’s John
Elkhay expects some improvement by the second half and
is already seeing advances
in sales from his new lowerpriced concepts such as Luxe
Burger Bar and Café Noir over
the higher-end operations they
replaced.
The revamp of his Chinese
Laundry is underway this winter.
A key to a better economic
climate, Elkhay points out,
will be better job numbers. Unemployment in RI is around 12
percent, he says, and the word
on the street is that “hotel and
convention bookings are way
off.”
2009 was a year, says Thomas John, executive chef of Au
Bon Pain, when consumers
shifted from a long-held focus
on the price/value relationship
to “absolute price, and brownbagging became our main competition.”
At Davio’s, Steve DiFillippo
has been affected by legislation
banning pharmaceutical companies from taking customers
to dinner. Functions, he says,
play a big role today but have
been down a little.
DiFillippo plans a new restaurant with Simon Properties
in Burlington, MA this year.
The Foxborough, MA Davio’s
does well he notes, adding: “I
would’ve thought that location
was crazy. But we have a $42
sirloin and our mix is more
steakhouse than pasta.”
He’s looking for future
growth, noting that with a restaurant in Philadelphia, he’d
like to be in suburban King of
Prussia.
At Max Restaurant Group
in Hartford, CT, Founder Rich
Rosenthal has seen the dining playing field change in the
past 18 months, he says.
Last year, the nine-unit
group saw sales fall 15 percent
from 2008 when they were
down five percent. “But we still
do a good business. Customers still want the expensive
things. High-end wines are
softer and it’s slower early in
the week, but they still go out.
It’s our culture to eat out now.
They’re more careful, but they
won’t deny themselves.”
Next year he may do another restaurant – possibly
another burger place, he says.
Think Again!
The quality you expect at a price you can afford.
866-44-FAEMA (3-2362)
faces
&
ertson, formerly at Z Square,
becomes executive chef, bringing 15 years of experience to
the post and a new menu of
internationally and regionallyinspired fare using local and
sustainable ingredients.
places
BRAUN
CASTLE HILL RESORT
– This Newport, RI Relais &
Chateaux property names
Director of Food & Beverage
Daniel Braun to the top post,
general manager. He brings
a wealth of experience at five
star, five-diamond properties,
says Director of Hospitality
Operations Casey Riley. A native of Luxembourg, Braun is
fluent in English, French and
German.
FEENEY
DELAWARE NORTH –
Christopher Feeney becomes chief financial officer,
joining the company from
Wyndham Worldwide where
he was senior vice president
and treasurer. His background
includes senior financial positions with Sunrise Senior Living, Marriott International and
Ernst & Young LLP, among
others.
T.G.I. FRIDAY’S – Lee
Sanders, most recently president of CEO of Johnny Rockets Inc., becomes president of
franchising for Friday’s® and
a member of the Carlson Restaurants executive team. His
background includes senior
vice president development
and franchising for Buffalo
Wild Wings, national director of franchising for Dunkin
Brands, Inc., and various
leadership positions with General Mills, Inc.
GRAFTON STREET – In
Cambridge, MA, Scott Rob-
NEW ENGLAND CULINARY INSTITUTE – The
board of directors of NECI
recently appointed Robert
(Skip) Myers, PhD, as president. He succeeds Fran Voigt,
a founder of the college who
served in that post nearly all
30 years of the school’s existence. Myers, an amateur chef
himself, has been president of
Daniel Webster College, Nashua, NH.
oversee marketing and media
relations.
HONEY DEW DONUTS
– Larry Flaherty, most recently with D’Angelo and
KaBloom, becomes director of
franchise development for this
Plainville, MA-based coffee
and donut chain, which plans
growth in Central and Northern MA, RI, CT, NH, VT and
ME.
STARBUCKS – Corey duBrowa, most recently with the
public relations firm, Waggener Edstrom, becomes vice president, Global Communications
and Public Affairs. Separately,
Valerie O’Neil, Global Communications vice president, becomes vice president of Global
Partner Communications and
will reportedly oversee public
relations activities.
UNION SQUARE HOSPITALITY GROUP – David
Swinghamer, formerly president of the Growth Division,
becomes CEO of the company’s
Shake Shack division, which
is undergoing major expansion.
He remains a senior managing partner at USHG. Randy
Garutti, who has been Shake
Shack managing partner,
moves to COO.
NATIONAL RESTAURANT
ASSN. – Scott DeFife was
named executive vice president, Policy & Government
Affairs, spearheading state
and federal lobbying efforts.
Previously, he led government
affairs for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets
Assn. where he led a 15-member team.
CHOW FUN FOOD GROUP
– Ted Newcomer, Jr. moves to
senior executive vice president
from vice president of operations and corporate beverage
manager. John Elkhay, coowner, and Mike Capalupo,
marketing specialist, take on
the dual post of handling marketing and media relations.
NICK RABAR – Former
Chow Fun Food Group Executive Chef Nick Rabar will
open an as yet unnamed restaurant in Rumford Center, RI
with modern American cuisine
that reflects regional influences. Former Chow Fun Marketing Director Tracy Rush will
GAUDET
AQUITAINE BISTRO –
Matthew Gaudet, who last
was at Boston’s Brasserie
Jo in The Colonnade Hotel,
joined this South End restau-
rant owned by The Aquitaine
Group late last year succeeding
Barry Edelman who became
executive sous chef at Bistro
Du Midi in the Back Bay.
Gaudet’s career includes stints
at Eleven Madison Park,
Union Square Hospitality
Group’s prestigious Relais &
Chateaux restaurant, among
others.
SODEXO – Calvin “C.J.”
Johnson was promoted to
president of the Hospitals Division, Sodexo’s largest unit,
from vice president for hospitals in the western region. He
succeeds Dick Deroschers
who moves to a new senior
leadership post in the company. At Sodexo Leisure Services, a new division of Sodexo
Corporate Services, Executive
Chef Chazz Alberti was appointed national director of culinary services from executive
chef at Chase River Center,
Wilmington, DE.
MARFA – In Manhattan,
Tony Cruz was named executive chef from a post as executive sous chef with B.R. Guest
– Don Caminos Park late last
year.
CB HOLDING CORP. –
This parent company of Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse and
Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse
named Craig Coyne, formerly with Brinker International, and Donna Morris, who
was with BUCA, Inc., regional
managers for Charlie Brown’s.
Additionally, Allyssa Leddy,
who began her career as a
server at the South Portland,
ME Bugaboo Creek, was elevated to director of training
for all brands.
LAKES REGION ASSOCIATION – At this group’s 73rd
annual meeting last fall, the
following directors were elected: Sean Brown, Common
Man Family of Restaurants;
Pam Patoine, Courtyard by
Marriott Grappone Conference Center; Dyan Driscoll,
Cozy Inn Cottages / Lakeview House Cottages; Mary
Ellen Dutton, Kellerhaus;
Mary Lamprey Bare, Lamprey Lamprey; Jim Morash,
M/S Mount Washington
Cruises; Deb Irwin, Manor
on Golden Pond; Patricia
Poore, member at large;
Doug Cutillo, Steele Hill
Resorts; David Doyle, Sun
Valley Cottages; Thomas
Boucher, T-Bones Great
American Eatery / Cactus Jack’s Grill Watering
Hole; and Karen Beranger,
Wolfeboro Inn, and Mildred Beach, lifetime director. New officers are Brad
Lipe, The Laker, president;
Frederic Clausen, Proctor’s
Lakehouse Cottages, immediate past president; Gail
Batstone, Inns and Spa at
Mill Falls, first vice president;
Greg Goddard, Gunstock
Mountain Resort, second
vice president; Mel Borrin,
Preferred Vacation Rentals, treasurer.
MARKET – At this new
Jean-Georges
Vongerichten restaurant in the new W
Hotel in Boston, Christopher
Lee Damskey, most recently
at Chambers Kitchen in
Minneapolis was named chef
de cuisine.
SODEXO – Lorna Donatone, president of the School
Services Division, becomes a
company chief operating officer. She succeeds Rick Brockland, who retires after nearly
40 years of service.
BAKERS’ BEST – Celebrating 25 years, this retail store,
cafe and catering business expanded last fall, moving across
the street in Newton Highlands, MA to a larger cafe with
full-service social and corporate catering capabilities and a
10,000 sq. ft. commissary.
JOHNSON
DELAWARE NORTH COs.SPORTSERVICE – Kevin
Doherty, executive chef for
the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics at TD Garden,
becomes one of four regional
executive chefs who will lend
their oexpertise to more than
a dozen Sportservice locations.
Separately, Larry Johnson,
previously head chef at The
Balsams Grand Resort, Dixville Notch, NH, was named
head chef at Buffalo’s Ralph
Wilson Stadium where he will
oversee premium dining and
catering, develop menus and
train staff.
ARAMARK SPORTS &
ENTERTAINMENT – Brian
Stapleton was promoted to
executive chef for this contract
feeder’s stadiums, arenas and
entertainment venues. He
most recently was one of five
regional executive chefs.
DON COQUI – Jimmy Rodriguez opened a 12,000 sq.
ft. restaurant in New Rochelle,
NY, Coqui, designed by Ilan
Waisbrod.
SUGAR RIDGE ANTIGUA
– Marvis Brade, formerly
executive sous chef at The
Sticky Wicket in Antigua and
a Johnson & Wales graduate,
becomes executive chef of Sugar Club Restaurant here.
NEFS co-locates with International Boston Seafood Show
B
OSTON – The
New
England
Food Show, formerly the New
England Foodservice & Lodging Exposition,
will co-locate with the International Boston Seafood Show
at the Boston Convention &
Exhibition Center in the city’s
revitalized Seaport District
March 14-16.
Highlights include new
“green” products and services
and an expanded Spirits Pavilion where attendees can
check out cocktail/mixer products, craft beers, and wines,
as well as a chance to win free
Red Sox tickets while attending the show each day.
The show provides a major buying venue for operators from across New England
including, this year, retail
groceries, supermarkets and
bakeries. A New & Green
Product Pavilion displays everything from specialty foods
to kitchen equipment. Chefs
from across the region will do
demonstrations daily – go to
www.nefs-expo.com/chef for
times and details. Other highlights include the Specialty
Foods of New England Pavilion, Organic & Natural Pavil-
ion, expanded Spirits Pavilion
and the new Foods of Quebec
Pavilion.
Also new is the Author’s
Corner and Bookstore where
attendees can meet New England writers.
On Monday from 4 to 5
PM a Wine Tasting Recepton takes place following the
Mixology Event with cheeses,
chocolates and the like.
Boston Seafood
Show takes place
in Mar. at BCEC
JOHNSON
BISTRO DU MIDI – Kelly
Coggins, last at Rialto in
Cambridge, joins Bistro Du
Midi as sommelier and Doss
Posey, who had been at Atlanta’s Hilton at Buckhead, was
named general manager.
POSEY
B
OSTON – Colocating with the
New England Food
Show for the first
time, the International Boston Seafood Show
Mar. 14-16 is North America’s
premiere seafood event with
16,000 buyers and sellers from
around the globe.
This year’s show introduces
the Seafood Excellence Awards
(formerly the New Product
Awards) in which a retail and
a foodservice seafood product
will receive “Best New” honors. To enter, to tohttp://www.
bostonseafood.com/10/public/
Content19275.aspx The show
also hosts the 4th annual Oyster Shucking Contest.
Chef Kevin Cottle, runnerup in Season 6 of Hell’s Kitchen, and an acclaimed chef who
grew up on Cape Cod, will
keynote the Show, speaking on
“Local and Sustainable Seafood: Why It Makes Sense,” on
Sun., March 14 from 12:30 to
1:30 PM. Cottle is presently
executive chef at the Country
Club of Farmington, CT.
Coffee Fest NY/NJ at the Meadowlands
Follow us on twitter
@CoffeeFestShow
Lincoln Smallwares, a division of The Manitowoc Company, Inc., which retains the
Lincoln name and its other
Lincoln business and product
lines. Lincoln Smallwares is
known for its aluminum cooking utensils under the WearEver™ trade.
ing Water Treatment Systems
(LWTS) and five chlorinators.
These water systems can provide portable drinking water
to approximately 100,000 total people daily. The systems
were shipped and installed in
coordination with WMI.
SUPPLIERS
CORNER
Everpure responds to
crisis in Haiti
CHICAGO – Pentair Foodservices is responding to the
disaster in Haiti where an aftershock cut off municipal water supplies in Port Au Prince,
creating an urgent need for
clean, filtered water. In coordination with its Foundation,
Pentair, which includes the
brands Everpure® and SHURflo®, is donating $200,000 to
fund portable water treatment systems and related
supplies to Haiti. Working
with the company’s charitable
partner, Water Missions International (WMI), the company is able to provide 10 Liv-
Bob Galvin named exec
vp for KeyImpact Sales
ODENTON, MD – KeyImpact Sales & Systems Inc.
named Robert Galvin, a founder of New England’s Food
Dynamics brokerage firm, executive vice president. He will
spearhead strategic planning
and its execution for the company and oversee the marketing department.
Galvin formed his first
brokerage firm in 1971. Five
years later he founded Food
Dynamics and grew it into the
New England market’s largest foodservice brokerage. He
also oversaw business mergers
with a large retail broker and
Lobel Food Brokers in 1999,
which formed The Market Dynamics Group. For more information, visit www.kisales.com.
Minichello oversees
OMNI Career Search
division
Patsy Benincasa
named foodservice
marketing director
COLUMBUS, OH – Patsy
Benincasa was promoted to
director of foodservice marketing with T. Marzetti Co.
from senior marketing manager. She will provide strategic direction in marketing
for the company’s full line of
foodservice breads, croutons,
dips, dressings, pastas, rolls
and sauces.
The Vollrath Co. acquires
Lincoln Smallwares™
SHEBOYGAN, WI – The
Vollrath Company recently acquired Fort Wayne, IN-based
MARKET PLACE EAST
EQUIPMENT
COMPUTER SERVICES
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PAPER CORP.
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FAX
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CONSULTING
28 Daniel Plummer Rd., Unit 14, Goffstown, NH 03045
P 603-606-1590 F 603-935-9390
Take your restaurant, new or
existing, from good to great.
DCS Associates, LLC.
Hospitality Consultants
David C. Shinney
563 Massachusetts Avenue #2 Boston, MA 02118
T 617 459 5500 F 617 249 1903
E [email protected]
W www.dcsassociates.biz
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changes regularly.
NORWELL, MA – Michael
Minichello is a new partner
with OMNI Career Search,
serving as president of the
Restaurant Division. He previously was director of human
resources for Not Your Average Joe’s, which grew from
eight to 16 units during his
term. Earlier, he was director
of recruitment for Legal Sea
Foods. Go to www.omnicareersearch.com.
Bettcher appoints Rolf
Laager in international
sales
BIRMINGHAM, OH – Bettcher Industries named Rolf
Laager international sales
manager from Hoegger AG, an
international manufacturer of
meat and bacon presses where
he was general manager of
the company’s operations in
Vermont. The appointment is
said to underscore Bettcher’s
international activities and
expanded product line in oversees markets.
Gluten free need increases
GLUTEN FREE
gluten free and approached
Agar, our primary distributor,
to help us. We also belong to the
Independent Restaurant Buying Group and took our general
managers to meetings to talk
about gluten free. We are planning to create new menu items
with Chef Jeff Merry at Agar
and make a rotating list of specials so that we’ll always have
a couple of gluten free choices.
It this goes well, we’ll extend it
to the rest of our restaurants.
We’re also buying gluten free
soups. We are not a 100 percent
gluten free kitchen, but we have
been working to create controls.”
Demand, he says, is coming on the function side of the
business. “We can accommodate gluten free requests. The
level of awareness is amazing.
Ten or 15 years ago, you never
heard about food allergies.’
McDonald credits Kettle
Cuisine founder, Jerry Shafir,
as one of the first manufacturers to jump on the issue. “We
see an opportunity to carve a
niche for ourselves for a customer we might not otherwise
have. It could potentially expand, and it shows our customers we’re aware of these issues
and responding to them.”
On the industry’s non-commercial side, Metz & Associates, Ltd., a contract management provider in Dallas, PA,
works with a specialty food
company to bring its customers
gluten free breads, bagels and
other baked goods and highlight gluten free menu items.
“We believe it is the responsibility of food service providers to stay on trend and remain flexible with our guests
and their individual dietary
needs,” says Ryan McNulty,
Director of Culinary Development. “Celiac disease is becoming more of a concern in both
the schools we serve and with
our adult customers.” Many
items are naturally gluten free,
he points out – among them,
fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, potatoes and corn.
McNulty has seen dramatic
increases in requests for gluten free products. Metz held a
Gluten Free Day at its Pocono
Medical Center account last fall
to educate staff and customers
about celiac disease and gluten
free foods and recipes.
“We recognized this growing dietary need among our
customers and are providing
items, such as gluten free personal pan pizzas and gluten
free breads and wraps in our
deli, Grab N’ Go and grill stations,” Heidi Fransen, Metz
foodservice director, at Pocono
Medical Center, says. “We are
also in the process of developing our own gluten free product line, which we will begin to
market on a retail level at the
hospital this winter, allowing
our customers to bring home
freshly baked loaves of gluten
free breads and other items.”
Wintertide
PRODUCTS
Finagle A Bagel launches
foodservice products
2.5 oz. and a 1.5 oz. bar. Visit www.
richfoodservice.com.
Finagle A Bagel offers foodservice
a specially tailored version of its
premium bagels for school, hospital and institutional distribution.
The bagels contain no artificial
dough conditioners or preservatives. Bailey’s bagels are available
in 3.0 oz and 2.3 oz sizes for foodservice in the following flavors:
plain, egg, cinnamon raisin, and
the widely requested everything
bagel. Visit www.finagleonline.com
for distribution information.
Yo-Nola Station combines
yogurt and granola
Auction item request
system to manage
donor programs
cMarket/BiddingForGood, an online auction platform that connects charity auctions with item
donors, has implemented AIRS, an
auction item request system that
tracks exposure donors receive in
return for a donation. Hotels are
able to leverage second revenue
streams, for example, such as leads
with requests for banquet facilities. Seekers of donated dinners fill
out an online item request form on
the restaurant or hotel’s website.
AIRS notifies participating restaurants of requests as they come in
and then allows them to send automated approval letter or letter
of decline in a timely fashion. For
those requests which are denied,
not all is lost for the requesting organization as within the response
letter is an offer from BiddingForGood to find donated items for
them. The organization will then
have an opportunity to run an online auction with BiddingForGood,
using supplied donated items to
raise funds for their organization.
cMarket/BiddingForGood offers a
free implementation of the interactive Auction Item Request System
(AIRS) to manage item donor programs more effectively. For more
information, email airs@cmarket.
com or call (866) 918-0305.
Magic Seasoning
Blends adds new items
®
Since 1983, Chef Paul Prudhomme
has been helping foodservice operators enhance menu items from
appetizers to desserts with Magic
Seasoning Blends®. New to the
lineup this winter are Barbecue
Magic®, Fajita Magic®, Sweetie
Magic®, Breading Magic®, Gravy
& Gumbo Magic®, and Shrimp
Magic®. All come in 24 oz. canisters packed four to the case and
are all natural and Kosher approved. Visit www.chefpaul.com.
Stonyfield and Grandy Oats have
teamed up to create the perfect
combination – a station for organic yogurt and Grandy oats granola.
Designed for school, college and
corporate cafeterias, the Yo-Nola
Station holds three flavors of yogurt
and four varieties of granola and is
63 in. high by 47-3/16 in. long by 28
in. deep with a counter height of
34 in. The station holds four quarts
of yogurt per tray and 2 ½ quarts of
granola. Contact [email protected] or [email protected]
for more details.
Reducing energy costs
for QSR operations
Seven Fillo Factory items
new at Restaurant Depot
Fillo Factory, manufacturer of
all natural and organic vegetarian fillo dough, placed seven of
its most popular foodservice products with Restaurant Depot: fresh
fillo dough sheets; apple cinnamon
strudel; cherry cheese strudel; assorted quiche; brie and raspberry
rolls; Grand Celebrations; and all
natural mini fillo shells. Visit www.
fillofactory.com.
Rich’s intros breakfast
bar for schools & families
With a goal of re-defining foodservice breakfasts, Rich’s introduces
a breakfast bar with 65 percent of
a child’s required daily allowance
for whole grains, a significant portion of fiber and the same amount
of protein as four chewy granola
bars. The Ultimate Breakfast
Round (UBR) comes in choice of
Cinnamon or Razzberry Dazzle
flavors and is freshly baked and
made from 100 percent wholegrain oatmeal, wheat bran, and
wheat germ. Each 2.5-oz UBR™
contains six grams of fiber, four
grams of protein, two servings of
bread, 270 calories, and zero trans
fat. The grab ‘n go bar comes in a
Energy is one of the top five expenses for QSRs, says See The Light, a
program from Kilojolts Consulting
Group designed to shift unintentional bad practices and behaviors to intention, good, best practices to create energy monitors that will help
operations become more profitable
by eliminating and avoiding energy
waste. The QSR Energy Tool Box includes a useful manager’s handbook,
DVD, CD, benchmarking software, a
grill and an air/water thermometer,
and customizable documents including a maintenance energy checklist,
energy audit and more. Visit www.
kilojolts.com.
any time while keeping control of
costs and stocks. The frozen prebaked 140 g baguettines have a six
months shelf life. Simply bake 10
to 12 minutes for hot, fresh rolls.
Also available are two new buttery,
pre-baked products: frozen croissants in 60-uit packs and Pure pain
au chocolate in 64-unit packs. Contact [email protected].
Hot beverage cup with
24 percent recycled fiber
Bridor Baguettine
offers flexibility and
cost control
Bridor’s Baguettine allows foodservice operators flexibility, allowing them to serve fresh bread
Eco-Products introduces a new hot
single wall paper hot beverage cup
with 24 percent post consumer recycled fiber. The cup complements
the existing line of single-use foodservice products and comes in 4-,8,10-,12-,16- and 20-oz. sizes. Samples are available by contacting
Jen Marshall at [email protected].
K N OW L E D G E • H O N E S T Y • R E S U LT S
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE
Specializing in the sale of restaurants.
The best possible partner to have on your side when buying or selling
a restaurant in the Boston area or Southeastern Massachusetts!
www.atlanticrest.com
For further information, please contact Daniel Newcomb
(781) 319-9800 • [email protected]
450 Plain Street, Suite 5, Marshfield, MA 02050
3 taps of
your iPhone
We have the iPhone app that
your customers can use to
place an order in seconds.
Mobilaurus’s iPhone app
can also be used to build
customer loyalty and keep
them coming back.
1. Tap Your
Restaurant Icon
2. Select Meal
3. Pay
j
MobiLaurus.com 617-458-6286
Burgers, operators agree, “have become hot”
BURGERS
may be one area of foodservice
where they are less willing
to cut back, despite the current economic environment,”
says Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic, Inc.. “They expect to
pay more for a higher quality,
better burger, and are willing
to do so
because
the valAn FSE
ue propSPECIAL
osition is
heightREPORT
ened.”
T h e
consultancy’s Burger Consumer
Trend Report found that
willingness to pay more for
specialty, premium burger offerings cut across industry
segments. Nearly 50 percent
sought a choice of size options
from sliders and mini-burgers
to half pounders.
Boston food blogger, Michael Prerau of The Food Monkey, points to the extremes of
the new interest in burgers,
such as “the $5,000 Hubert
Keller burger, the eccentrically topped burger, burgers
made from favorite exotic zoo
and farm animals, and the
giant burger such as a 15 lb.
burger at Denny’s Beer Barrel
in Upton, PA.”
“For the most part,” he
says, “the main trend in burger joints has simply been to be
as un-McDonald’s as possible,
and I’m certain that this will
be the banner under which
most burger establishments
will rally in the future. While
McDonald’s and Burger King
will not be going anywhere,
the ultimate winners in the
battle among others will be
to provide customers with unfrozen grilled burgers, cooked
to order, in the time it would
take to heat a slice of pizza.”
“Quality is Number 1,” declares John Elkhay, partner in
Providence-based Chow Fun
Food Group whose new burger concept, Luxe Burger Bar,
is proving that not all burgers
are created equal. Luxe uses a
special certified Black Angus
(gold label) blend with chuck,
brisket and sirloin for its sixounce burgers that fit into locally baked sesame or whole
wheat rolls, or a wrap.
Luxe offers a hip urban-chic
setting with contemporary art
and music and a Build Your
Own Burger checklist from
which guests choose from signature protein selections and
add their choice of cheese, special sauce, and bun and up to
three toppings free. Premium
toppings such as sirloin chili,
goose liver pate, BBQ pulled
pork and an organic fried egg
are available for an additional
$1.00 each.
The “point of difference for
Luxe,” says John Elkhay, is
quality plus the wide variety
of options. Even fries can be
“pimped” with gravy, cheese,
bacon, etc.
Elsewhere in Providence,
Stanley’s Famous Hamburgers, with Blackstone Valley
roots dating to 1932 when a
Polish immigrant, Stanley
Kryla during the Great Depression, first opened with a
commitment to sell simple, affordable food. Current owner,
Greg Raheb called on Vision 3
Architects to create his goal of
Young, less
affluent crowd
drawn to
casual concepts
with creative
burgers
a 1930’s art deco ‘diner’ with
burgers, sandwiches, and
other ‘comfort’ fare in Providence’s Jewelry District downtown. Burgers start at $1.99.
Fresh cut fries and homemade
chili and soups are also available.
In West Hartford, CT, Max
Restaurant Group introduced
Max Burger last fall with beef
choices, but also a lobster
burger and the “Grateful Veg.”
Burgers may be “old news,”
says the group’s president,
Average checks can be
in $20 range
including alcoholic beverages
Richard Rosenthal, but today’s are fresh, “chef- and
product-driven.” The company
saw a need for a burger concept with a hip, contemporary
vibe, he says.
“We asked ‘what would
we want if we lived here?’
Burgers have become hot. We
serve the same menu all day
of around 10 burgers, salads,
and six or seven entrees, but
burgers are dramatically the
strongest sellers. They can
choose from beef, Kobe beef,
turkey, veggie, shrimp or tuna
burgers. The average check is
$20 including alcoholic beverages.”
The menu offers the option of customizing the eightoz. burgers with various toppings, accompanied by a large
list of beers including its own
Max’s No Name Pale Ale.
Nearby in West Hartford,
Al Gamble’s Plan B Burger
Bar with units in Simsbury
and Glastonbury, touts its 100
percent certified natural beef
and the fact that it was the
first restaurant in the state to
receive the Certified Humane
Raised & Handled designation from Humane Farm Animal Care.
Expansion is being eyed in
such markets as Boston, At-
lanta, Georgetown (DC) and
Chicago.
Manhattan’s Madeline Poley, who owns New York Burger Co., was ahead of the pack
several years ago, focusing on
all natural, upscale burgers
and distinctive sauces. She’s
been working on positioning
the concept as a New York
brand, and on franchising.
An initial franchise unit will
open this summer, owned by a
French family that is thinking
of taking the concept to London and Paris. Their first unit
in Manhattan’s Art District,
which connects the Meatpacking District with West Chelsea, will feature a new design
with a sauce bar, Poley says.
She’s also been approached
by the multi-billion dollar
Xanadu project at the Meadowlands. The huge sports and
entertainment complex could
be a “huge showcase,” she
observes, adding: “We’re also
looking at another company
store.”
Meanwhile, Iron Chef and
restaurateur
Bobby
Flay
opened a Bobby’s Burger
Palace at Mohegan Sun last
year, the latest in the selfproclaimed burger afficiando’s
chain of four outlets which
will soon include a fifth in
Philadelphia.
At Mohegan Sun, special
$9 ‘spiked’ milkshakes with
bourbon, rum or vodka join
the menu offerings, which feature 10 burgers with a tribute
to America’s regional flavors,
fries and fried onion rings.
Options include ground turkey, chicken breast, or certified Angus beef burgers priced
from $6.50 to $7.50.
Other New York restaurateurs such as Danny Meyer,
president of Union Square
Hospitality Group, have also
found success with burgers.
Meyer’s Shake Shack concept
is growing rapidly, a tribute to
the popularity of burgers, frozen custard and shakes. With
three currently in Manhattan,
USHG plans several more in
New York this year as well as
others in Miami and Kuwait.
Meyer recently was quoted as
saying the concept could grow
to 20 in five years, primarily
on the East Coast.
Longtime
Manhattan
“joint,” P.J. Clarke’s at Third
Ave. and 55th St., with three
outlets in the metro area is reportedly expanding to Las Vegas and Washington, DC this
summer and thinking about
a hamburger stand similar to
Shake Shack. Boston is said to
under consideration as well.
Also venturing into the
burger arena last fall was
Steve Hanson of B.R. Guest
Restaurants in New York with
Bill’s Bar & Burgers. The 300seat restaurant opened on the
Meatpacking District with a
classic burger priced at $5.95
and variations, along with
veggie and turkey burgers,
hot dogs, chili and shakes.
Like others in the emerging
new ‘better burger’ category,
Bill’s uses a custom blend of
meat from butcher Pat LaFrieda, supplier to a number of
the newer burger outlets.
Elsewhere in the Big Apple,
Bloomingdales has a new instore burger operation, Flip,
where customers pick the ingredients including the blend
of meat in the burger.
Contractors develop
new burger concepts
to meet demand from
student customers
A
ramark Higher
Education
and
Sodexo
Retail
Brand Group unveiled new burger
concepts last year with both
contract foodservice management firms engaging their student customers for feedback in
developing the outlets.
Aramark’s Burger Studio™, which opened last fall
at University of Hartford and
Springfield College (MA) here
in the Northeast, used input
from students in developing a
restaurant where Using electronic touch-screen ordering
kiosks, they can design their
own individual “masterpiece,”
made to order, by selecting an
Angus, chicken or veggie burger customized with more than
30 toppings, cheeses and special sauces. The kiosks prompt
each customer with a variety of
choices, and then visually create the order by building the
sandwich, piece by piece on the
kiosk screen.
All locations are designed
using
sustainably-sourced
materials and energy efficient
equipment and lighting, including countertops made from
bamboo with laminate made
from coffee beans and recycled
fibers; biodegradable packaging, made from 100 percent recycled materials; and take-out
bags made with non-chlorinated pulp.
Sodexo’s Original Burger
Company came about from demands for quality, quick service
and price, says Erica Miller,
director of brand development
for the Retail Brand Group.
With an average tab of $4.25,
the concept, at Montclair State
University, Montclair, NJ, the
Original Burger Company jsd s
ysh line of ‘where every burger
is an original.’
“The Original Burger Company provides college students
with a meal solution that fits
our lifestyle,” says student and
SBOD member Jon Preciado.
“It’s fast enough to pick up
between classes, but has the
authentic quality of a good ‘ol
American burger. Best of all,
it’s a part of the Sodexo meal
plan.”
BOOKS
for
COOKS
Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty
Minute Pasta: 100
Quick and Easy Recipes
Giuliano Hazen, Stewart Tabori &
Chang, $27.50
A guide to delightful
delicacies.
Giuliano Hazan won an IACP
award for Cooking Teacher of the
Year in 2007 and teaches in Verona, Italy. In this book, he shares
recipes for 100 easy, quick pasta
dishes that pair pasta shapes with
specific sauces that best suit them
and divides the pastas into flouorand-water shapes and egg pasta
shapes. He also discusses the
“pasta pantry” and how to stock it
with ingredients for pasta dishes.
Recipes focus on hearty pasta
soups, vegetarian and seafood
pasta dishes, and meat pastas.
The Barcelona
Cookbook
Stir: Mixing It Up In the
Italian Tradition
Barbara Lynch, Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt, $35.00
Boston chef/restaurateur Barbara Lynch’s long-awaited first
cookbook was written much as
she cooks, taking time to let it
simmer and allow the flavors to
deepen and marry. Focused on
fresh, seasonal local foods, the
book offers favorites from Lynch’s
No. 9 such as Vanilla Bread Pudding and Prune Gnocchi. Her
food blends French technique
with Italian influences and emphasizes fish, vegetables and
pastas. Pages for notes are interspersed throughout the book,
which, in addition to handsome
photographs of finished dishes,
includes step-by-step photos for a
number of recipes.
The book captures Lynch’s
South Boston voice perfectly as
it shares here secrets for small
plates, pastas, sauces, main
courses and desserts, her vision
and her personal tips. The food
in the book, she says, reflects the
evolution of her cooking as well as
her palate.
Andrews McMeel Publishing,
$29.99
Chefs and home cooks alike
can capture the essence of the
Spanish kitchen with the recipes
in Andy Pforzheimer and Sasa
Mahr-Batuz’s cookbook, featuring
dishes that highlight their Connecticut restaurant group’s tapas
style of cooking. Although cooks
in the US have access to fewer
choices of clams, littleneck or Manila clams will work in Almejas
con Chorizo, - fresh clams with
Chorizo sausage sautéed in olive oil and cooked with sausage,
wine, garlic and thyme. Preparation is uncomplicated, but the
flavors are clean and simple. The
book includes sources for ingredients and food items, a chapter
on cocktails and Spanish wines,
information about Spanish cured
meats and cheeses, and tips for
selecting olive oil and more.
Take a fresh, new look at Kettle Cuisine.
Our logo has changed. But our commitment to crafting uncompromised soup
is as strong as ever. From the source to our kitchen to you, we make
our soup the way it is supposed to be made. Just like we have since 1986.
Hand prepared ingredients
• All natural proteins
•
Nothing artificial
• Stocks from scratch
•
No MSG, no additives
• No preservatives
•
617-884-1219 • www.kettlecuisine.com

boston - Foodservice East

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