Fans and patrons eagerly anticipate the unveiling of Bucktown’s Club Lucky’s 23rd annual Christmas decorations. e outdoor decorations complete with blink- ing electronic snowflakes welcome in a holiday tradition that has delighted Chicagoans for over two decades. e award winning “must see” holi- day decorations include hundreds of dazzling handmade snowflakes dangling from the ceiling, garland galore, thousands of Italian lights, over- sized wreaths and ornaments that can be seen throughout the restaurant and cocktail lounge. Club Lucky serves up holiday martinis and never has trouble booking space for parties and gatherings. Decorations will remain up until Jan- uary 12, 2014 to accomodate late season parties. Club Lucky is located at 1824 W. Wabansia Ave., Chicago. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! N EWS F OOD I NDUSTRY FOUNDED 1982 YOUR LOCAL FOOD INDUSTRY BUYING SOURCE DECEMBER 2013 PUBLISHER’S INSIGHT ...................................... 4 LOCAL NEWS .................................................. 8 CHEF PROFILE: MICHAEL LYNCH ..........................10 CHEF PROFILE: GEORGE TOURLOUKIS ....................12 DINER X .......................................................16 PEOPLE SELLING THE INDUSTRY ..........................37 AROUND CHICAGO: C&G RESTAURANT....................26 TRAVEL: ARUBA..............................................29 NATIONAL NEWS .............................................33 DIRECTORY ...................................................41 CLASSIFIEDS .................................................44 SPOTLIGHT ON CHICAGOLAND’S HOTTEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT NEIGHBORHOODS.............. THROUGHOUT FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS DECEMBER 2013 Must See Holiday Decorations At Club Lucky Above: Honorees and guests at this year’s Chefs Hall of Fame gather for one last photo, but we have many more as well as a wrap-up of the night’s event and honors. See pages 38 and 39.
Transcript
Fans and patrons eagerly anticipate the unveiling of Bucktown’s Club Lucky’s 23rd annual Christmas decorations. The outdoor decorations complete with blink-ing electronic snowflakes welcome in a holiday tradition that has delighted Chicagoans for over two decades. The award winning “must see” holi-day decorations include hundreds of dazzling handmade snowflakes dangling from the ceiling,
garland galore, thousands of Italian lights, over-sized wreaths and ornaments that can be seen throughout the restaurant and cocktail lounge. Club Lucky serves up holiday martinis and
never has trouble booking space for parties and gatherings. Decorations will remain up until Jan-uary 12, 2014 to accomodate late season parties. Club Lucky is located at 1824 W. Wabansia Ave., Chicago.
Follow us on Facebook and
Twitter!
NEWSFOOD
INDUSTRYFOUNDED 1982
Your LocaL Food IndustrY BuYIng source deceMBer 2013
lOcal NEws .................................................. 8
chEF PrOFilE: michaEl lyNch ..........................10
chEF PrOFilE: gEOrgE TOUrlOUkis ....................12
DiNEr x .......................................................16
PEOPlE sElliNg ThE iNDUsTry ..........................37arOUND chicagO: c&g rEsTaUraNT ....................26TravEl: arUba ..............................................29NaTiONal NEws .............................................33
sPOTlighT ON chicagOlaND’s hOTTEsT sEaFOOD rEsTaUraNT NEighbOrhOODs .............. ThrOUghOUT
FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS DECEm
bER 2013must see holiday Decorations at club lucky
Above: Honorees and guests at this year’s Chefs Hall of Fame gather for one last photo, but we have many more as well as a wrap-up of the night’s event and honors. See pages 38 and 39.
December 1-8.indd 1 11/12/13 3:38 PM
Food Industry news Is Having a Holiday Party and You’re Invited!
The 2013 FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS READER HOLIDAY PARTY and SHMOOZEFEST
Tuesday Dec. 3, 2013. The Castle (formerly Excalibur) 632 N. Dearborn, 5:30PM – 10PMOpen to Owners, Managers, Assistant Managers, Chefs, Key Personnel, Bartenders,
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Invited Guests Include Professionals From All Segments of the Industry, Including:members of the illinois restaurant Association
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Food Industry News® december 2013 Page 3
Food Industry News Issue 12, December 2013 (ISSN #1082-4626) is published monthly, $49.95 for a three-year subscription, by Foodservice Publishing, 1440 Renaissance Drive, Suite 210, Park Ridge, IL
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among worst states to be Unemployed; illinois ranks 3rd
Illinois ranks a close third to Louisiana but both states tip their hats to Tennessee. Tennes-see’s average weekly unemploy-ment insurance payout totaled just 28.6% of the average weekly wage, lower than all but eight other states. Meanwhile, just 30% of the unemployed received those benefits, also among the lowest in the country. The state enacted a new law in 2012 that required the unemployed to make “a rea-sonable effort to secure work” by demonstrating they have reached out to at least three employers per week. In addition, the law requires people receiving benefits to take any job offering 100% of prior wages in the first 13 weeks. After this, to continue receiving benefits they may not turn down any job offering 75% of past wages. By the 38th week of un-employment, this standard falls to 65% of past wages. The state’s unemployment rate of 8.5% in June 2013 was the 10th highest in the country and up from 8.2% in June 2012, despite a decline across the country.
Chicago bike thefts up; thieves using a “sucker pole,” ac-cording to the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry. Thieves will
remove the bolts that secure street sign poles to their bases, allowing them to easily lift the poles out of the base later.
Unsuspecting riders don’t notice the missing bolts, and lock their bikes to the poles, falsely thinking they’ll be secure.
Second Annual Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge from NRA
The National Restaurant Association (NRA) is now accepting submissions for its second annual Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge, an initiative aimed at showcasing restaurant and foodservice companies’ culinary ingenuity of creating healthful options for children.
Sponsored by founding partner McCormick For Chefs®, the Food Away From Home Division of Mc-Cormick & Company, and Healthy Dining’s team of registered dietitians, the Challenge takes an “indus-try tested, kid approved” approach with a panel of food and nutrition professionals selecting finalists and elementary school students choosing the win-ners.
The deadline to submit recipes is December 15, 2013. The winners will be recognized at the 2014 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (May 17-20, 2014 in Chicago). For more information, visit Restaurant.org/Recipe
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Page 4 Food Industry News® december 2013
Publisher’s InsightValerie Miller
When employees come to work unprepared to give it their all, it affects your bottom line. Similarly, you must have the op-eration ready to go, with clear instructions on what is expected.
The clearest proof that failing businesses show their vul-nerability is when consumers see your weaknesses. They will respond negatively, either by unhappiness or not coming back. Worst of all, as people search online for a place to dine, patron reviews are the first to show up. You can pay through the nose to wipe bad feedback, but if you aren’t working hard to clean up the operation, you are treading dark and rising waters. The proliferation of unpaid reviews have the ball; you have to bring the performance.
I urge you to toughen up your presentation. Staff should be there to not only move product but also to pour on the positivity. When was the last time that you stepped back to tell a customer, “Wow, you did really good” or said, “You’re really going to love this...”? If it’s been too long, you’ve been letting fun leak out the door. Everybody has an ego, and every ego, no matter how humble, wants to be praised. DO IT.
Your customers look for answers; the food, wines, brands and menu items need steering. The server who asks “Can I of-fer some help?” not only sells your services, but sells your exper-tise. The check-out clerk who offers to open to help for speedy processing is a friend; the stockers who ask if a shopper needs some help finding an item are you representatives. Good ones are your strength; bad ones are a negative drain on future sales.
Courtesy costs nothing. It is expected, but the employee who brings personality to the job brings in business. Standing in line at Portillo’s can be crunchy when the dinner time crowds pile in; listen to the bad puns and clever banter that counter pros toss out regularly and you’ll find yourself listening for your number and laughing. The sales rep who really, sincerely knows a product can upsell without pressure and with poise. THAT folks, is salesmanship and your profitability depends on it.
Never, ever be seen as a hothead. Even if you’ve lost your fortune, open that door with a smile and gratitude for another day. Thank your customers. Find ways to remember names and you’ll build friendships from your sales. Calling in an order to our favorite carry-outs, we’ve been asked for our phone number and delighted with a personal, first name greeting which ensures that, if nothing else, you know your people. When a customer feels special, a customer is an ally.
Shmoozefest launched in 2011 as a small gathering of industry businesses and suppliers. It is gratifying and some-what humbling to announce that this month’s December 3rd Shmoozefest has moved to larger quarters and has an excellent roster of sponsoring businesses. Please accept my personal invi-tation to join us (see page 2 for details) for this free event. It is the best opportunity for you to rub elbows with other industry professionals and exchange ideas in a relaxed but concentrated circle of very smart, very successful people. Who knows? The next big idea may be yours from an introduction among these gifted, thriving all-stars. See you there!
At this time of year, we are grateful for you, our readers and advertisers, and wish you all a wonderful holiday season as well as success for the year to come. –Valerie Miller, Publisher
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cocchi americano rosa aperitif wine Throughout its history, the House of Cocchi has periodically pro-
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First National Egg gets Non-gmO verified
NestFresh is the first nationally distributed egg line to receive the Non-GMO Project Verified seal from the Non-GMO Project.
NestFresh works with multiple small farms across the country in a co-op system. “Non-GMO farming has a major environmental impact not only on the eggs we produce for NestFresh but also for my family that lives on the farm and for our en-tire community,” says Joseph Kropf, who is part of a Mennonite group of farmers in Tampico, Ill.
Whole Foods honored Hidden Villa Ranch for its private label ver-sion of NestFresh’s Non-GMO eggs called Nature Fed (that are sold to Whole Foods Market exclusively), calling their commitment to non-GMO verification and supply chain development “groundbreaking.”
season’s greetings from the entire Food industry News staffValerie Miller, Publisher • Cary Miller, Advertising/Vice President
Mark Braun, Associate Publisher • Terry Minnich, EditorPaula Mueller, Office Management • Cathy Gibsson, Office staff
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The State and Lake Chicago Tavern, 201 N. State located in the Wit Hotel has new menus focused on using the best seasonal ingredients the Midwest offers. Some of the State and Lake fa-vorite dishes have been modified to utilize the fall seasons freshest ingredients. For example, sweet potato will now be a featured ingredient in the popular poutine dish instead of the Kennebec po-tato, and garnishes will naturally be changed from snap beans to fried pickles and cherry wood bacon gravy has now become smoked hock gravy. Chef Percoco has also developed some brand new dishes utilizing fall flavors includ-ing: Berkshire Pork Schnitzel, shaved brussels sprout apple salad, with horseradish cream. Chef Percoco plans to offer wild game includ-ing quail, wild boar and elk. He is excited about creating unique sau-sage combinations such as a wild boar escarole and barley sausage (It’s not often you see grains and vegetables added into casings.) Above: Chicken and waffles, and chicken thighs.
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Fast Food chains Dump Dollar menus
McDonald’s will change up its long-time Dollar Menu with $2 options and $5 share-able meals as the latest move in an industry where meals for $1 are giving way to rising costs and a growing willing-ness to pay more for healthier fare. Other chains including Wendy’s, Burger King and Ar-by’s have made similar moves away from the $1 price point.
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More than eight out of 10 consumers visit fast-casual res-taurants at least once a month or more, but only about 60 percent of those frequent din-ers come in for breakfast at least once a month according to research from Technomic’s Future of Limited Service Res-taurants Consumer Trend Re-port. – Technomic, Inc.
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Thrill your guests with sierra meat’s Durham ranch specialty & Exotic meats!
Now available in the Chicago area, Sierra Meat offers the exciting Durham Ranch line of specialty and exotic meats to liven up your center of the plate: Bison, Wagyu, Wild Boar, Berkshire Pork, Venison, Game Birds and much more... yes, even Camel sliders!
Sierra Meat has an extensive burger bar, and manufactures custom game grinds and por-tion control in their USDA inspected plant. Not only are the exotics great conversation pieces, they are delicious, natural and sustainably raised.
Consumers demand to know their food’s origin and how it was raised. The Dur-ham Ranch brand answers this call with an extensive line of specialty meat cared for by families on small farms and ranches and by Mother Na-ture in the wild.
Sierra Meat is one of the largest distributors of spe-cialty and exotic meats in the United States, with a broad selection that stirs creativ-ity in the minds of top chefs across the country. Unique offerings like Alligator An-douille Sausage will be sure to provide that “wow” factor on your menu.
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Bai Brands, which plans to sell its prod-ucts in all 50 states within a year, took a step closer to that goal with a new distri-bution deal in Chica-go. Dr Pepper Snapple Group will distribute Bai products to area Jewel-Osco supermar-kets. The company also secured distribu-tion in Target, Stop & Shop, Hannaford Su-permarkets, Raley’s and Costco stores across the U.S. – U.S. BevNet.
com Vanille Patisserie, an authentic French pastry shop, will open a third Chicago loca-tion this fall. In ad-dition to the original storefront on Cly-bourn Avenue and a second location at Chicago French Mar-ket, the third and larg-est Vanille Patisserie will reside at 2108 North Clark Street in the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighbor-hood. Vanille Patisser-ie creates luxurious pastries by blending classic European tra-ditions with modern flavor profiles. French for vanilla, Vanille of-fers artisanal desserts and pastries, includ-ing luscious tarts, handmade chocolates and candies, fresh baked croissants and the city’s largest as-sortment of classic French macarons. Chicago will offer more than 165,000 hospitality careers
by 2020, with Kendall College students well poised for top posi-tions. According to Knight, 96 percent of December 2012 hos-pitality program grad-uates reported find-ing a job in their field within six months of graduating, in posi-tions ranging from Catering Manager to Event Coordinator to Guest Services Agent. – www.kendall.edu Construc-tion is finally com-plete on Lake Cook Road in Deerfield; much to the relief of Ted from Teddyfabz on 663 Lake Cook Rd. The area’s restaurants all welcome their cus-tomers back. Sophie’s will be introduced in Saks Fifth Avenue Chicago in January when it opens on the 7th floor alongside the new men’s depart-ment. It will provide an exciting new dining option on the Magnifi-cent Mile with sweep-ing views of Michigan Avenue.
Local news
Hardee’s plans to open at least 35 restaurants in the Chicago market throughout the next seven years. As part of that expansion, Franchisee Frontier Star LLC began opening new units this summer in Boling-brook and Midlothian, and will open its new Elk Grove Village restaurant Friday. Each of the first 500 Elk Grove Village cus-tomers will receive a coupon book featuring one free Hard-ee’s menu item a week for 52 weeks.
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Food Industry News® December 2013 www.foodindustrynews.com Page 9
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I thank my critics; they have made me wealthy
and made me laugh.Handling Online ReviewsToday’s restaurant reviews can come hard and fast. While
customers are still dining in your restaurant they can be tweeting about their experience, leaving a tip on Foursuare or posting an Instagram of their dinner. Here are some tips for dealing with instantaneous feedback.
• Listen in. Applications like HootSuite, TweetDeck and Tweetcaster can help you monitor tweets in real time.
• Verify and remedy the situation. Instant feedback provides an opportunity to address complaints while guests are still onsite—if you act quickly. At Founding Farmers, the hospitality coordina-tor is alerted about any real-time issues posted on social media. She notifies the manager on duty, who verifies the situation and can often connect directly with the guest at the table to solve the problem. Best-case scenario: The problem is fixed, and the cus-tomer tweets about how the restaurant made good, in real-time.
• Don’t retreat from the situation; retweet instead. When a customer tweets a complaint, the fast-casual Wow Bao quickly remedies the situation. For example, if a guest doesn’t love a menu item, management might tweet her to “try something dif-ferent on us.” Wow Bao retweets the customer complaint along with a message about how it handled the situation, publicizing the chain’s commitment to customer service.
• Document. Record the feedback and interactions in your digital logbook. You’ll be able to track trends to help guide your operations. Documentation will also help you keep an eye out for customers who are active in social media.
– The New Word of Mouth, National Restaurant Association
Protein Overhaul for 2014
According to Nation’s Restaurant News, chefs will branch out in 2014 and skip traditional fare such as chicken in favor of unusual proteins such as pork belly, catfish or oc-topus, predicted Andrew Freeman, chief executive of San Francisco-based hospitality consulting firm Andrew Freeman & Co. Side dishes, desserts and cocktails are also getting overhauled and consumers should expect to see more out-of-the-box offerings like hybrid dishes, high-end com-fort food and gourmet ice cream sandwiches in place of today’s popular doughnuts. – Adapted from nrn.com
Vienna Spotlights New Soups for 2013Vienna Beef, 2501 N. Damen Ave. Chicago, gave us a sneak pre-
view of their Winter 2013 soups. Their savory selections are made to warm frozen customers and add to your bottom line. Chicken Chili with Mango, Stuffed Pepper with Beef, French Onion, Ca-ribbean-Style Pumpkin Bisque, Cuban Style Black Bean and Pork, and Chicken Gumbo comprise the 2013 deliciously satisfying line-up. It’s a safe bet that you’ll hook customers with a sample of these satisfying, mouth-watering wonders:
The ultimate bistro soup, French Onion 63880 is a classic with its caramelized onions and flavorful beef broth! Place croutons or a piece of French bread and Gruyère cheese on top, then broil! A savory tradition that customers will love.
Caribbean-Style Pumpkin Bisque 63867 is a symphony for your tastebuds! The perfect marriage of cream, pumpkin, celery, onions and Caribbean spices, this luscious soup is ideally topped
with a dollop of creme fraiche and toasted pumpkin seeds.Adding bacon bits on top of Vienna’s white (Chicken Chili
(Chicken Chili with Mango 6359) with Mango adds yet another layer of flavor to an already decadent chili! Add shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro for that extra garnish of flavor and it makes for warm luxury on a cold night.
Chicken Gumbo 63591 features the holy triumvirate of South-ern Louisiana cooking for a Gumbo is loaded with peppers, okra, onions, quality chicken and Vienna’s Polish sausage. Add shrimp and rice for a taste of New Orleans.
Garnish the hearty Cuban-Style Black Bean & Pork 63866 soup with chopped scallions, cilantro and sliced plantains. Serve with a flame-toasted tortilla for a sabrosa fiesta
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Process Matters When Decaffeinating a Coffee BeanEver wonder where decaf coffee beans come from? Are they born that way or does it
have to be removed? How do they get the caffeine out of the bean?Is it a kind process, the caffeine politely leaving after a few gentle shakes? Or is it a
chemical raping of the bean, forcing the caffeine out after subjecting the freshly picked little guy to unnatural additives that we probably couldn’t pronounce much less want to consume. The answer is; it depends.
“Actually there are a few ways to decaffeinate coffee,” Rohan Marley, Chairman of Jammin Java Coffee explains. “After a lot of research it was a no-brainer for us with our Marley Brand of Coffees. We chose the Swiss Water Process. It was the only way to keep our organic beans chemically uncompromised.”
The Swiss Water Process uses pure water from the mountains of British Columbia instead of the more common methylene chloride and ethyl acetate (say that five times fast) that many other coffee companies use. It leaves the bean 99.9% caffeine free and more impressively, 100% chemical free.
It’s a process that’s been around since 1989 but many people still don’t know exists.“We have a large decaf
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Chef ProfileNAME: Michael LynchRESTAURANT: AJ Hudsons Public HousePHONE: 773.348.2767ADDRESS: 3801 North Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL 60613BIRTHPLACE: Chicago, ILCURRENT POSITION: Executive ChefFIRST FOODSERVICE JOB: Ovens of Micheline in Palos ParkFAVORITE FOOD: We live in Chicago, home of the best pizza in the world.MEMORABLE CUSTOMERS: I have cooked for Winona Ryder, and Ludacris.WORST PART OF JOB: Its a labor of love, which is necessary in this industry otherwise the hours would kill you.MOST HUMOROUS KITCHEN MISHAP: I was just promoted to Sous Chef and the kitchen I was working in had a tradition for promoted employees. All the cooks get together and grab you and throw you into a giant ice bath used to cool soups and sauces. Not only was it upsetting but it was also a lot of fun. I call it my second baptism.FAVORITE FOOD TO PREPARE: I love the intricate work that goes into sauce making.PART OF JOB THAT GIVES MOST PLEASURE: Passing on things I have learned to other cooks who are eager to learn.IF YOU COULDN’T BE A CHEF, WHAT WOULD YOU BE AND WHY: I always enjoyed working for my fathers construction company. There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from building something with your hands and working outdoors.BEST ADVICE RECEIVED: No news is good news.FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: My parents live in Ireland so I love to get out there to see them as much as possible.WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST ABOUT FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS: The articles on new trends going on in Chicago.
ConAgra Increases Sustainable Packaging
In a 2013 Citizenship Report, ConAgra Foods outlines some of the ef-forts it has made toward improving the sustain-ability of its product packaging. The company introduced a new plas-tic flour bag earlier this year, and in 2012 it elimi-nated liners containing BPA from dessert top-ping and cooking spray containers.
– Adapted from FoodBusinesNews.net
December 9-16.indd 10 11/12/13 3:45 PM
Sanitation Certification, & Alcohol Awareness Training From the Illinois Restaurant Association
Member Benefits:n3 Cost Savings on Basic Servicesn3 Quality Certification & Educational Programsn3 Critical industry Representationn3 Unique Marketing Opportunitiesn3 Valuable Information Resources
Classes also available at your location To Register, Visit Our website: www.illinoisrestaurants.org
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Illinois Restaurant Association: Year In Review2013 was a banner year for the
Illinois Restaurant Association. We were proud to advocate for our industry, tackling major legis-lative issues – such as fighting to maintain the entry level wage and tip credit, immigration reform, food handler safety, concealed
carry and more – with our elected officials. We did this all year long, especially on Lobby Day in both Spring-field and Washington, D.C.
We also celebrated Illinois’ rich culinary diversity with events such as Taste of Chicago in July and most recently, Bon Appétit presents Chicago Gourmet. These events gave food lovers an opportunity to explore our state’s world-class chefs and restaurants.
Meanwhile, we welcomed dozens of new members to the Association, where they were championed by our member benefits and endorsed programs, industry networking events, marketing support, educational op-portunities, and more.
Our work would not be complete without fostering the next generation of industry leaders. 2013 brought tremendous opportunity to benefit the future of our industry through the Association’s sold-out annual Golf-Classic, From the Chef ’s Table: Restaurateurs for Education, and several other events held throughout the year.
As we look to 2014, we are thrilled to usher in the Association’s Centennial year. We will be putting out a call for photos, videos, and other memorabilia from throughout the state to help us pay homage to this important milestone of 100 years in hospitality. Please visit our website, www.illionisrestaurants.org for more information – and to learn how you can be a part of it all.
facebook.com/illinoisrestaurants
@IlliniRestAssoc
we ARe wORKING HARd TO PROMOTe OUR INdUSTRY ANd HeLP PUT dINeRS IN YOUR SeATSIn 2013, the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (IRAEF) awarded $146,000 in scholar-ships to students in pursuit of post-secondary education in the Culinary and Hospitality Management fields. The mission of the IRAEF is to build the state’s hospitality workforce through career exploration, scholarships, and programs such as ProStart®, which reaches over 3,000 students in Illinois.
Featuring more chefs, food, new programming and an elevated Grand Cru, Chicago Gourmet, presented by Bon Appétit magazine in conjunction with Southern Wine & Spirits of Illinois, welcomed 12,456 attendees, the largest showing since the event’s 2008 inception. Save the date for September 26-28, 2014!
The 94th annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice, and North American lodging professionals – attracted more than 62,500 registrants from all 50 states and over 100 countries.
Save the date for May 17-20, 2014. Visit show.restaurant.org to take advantage of early registration offers of up to 60% now.
Sam Toia IRA President & CEO
The Illinois Restaurant Association protects, promotes, educates and improves the restaurant industry in Illinois. We are committed to promoting and strengthening our industry by providing support and exclusive benefits to our members through marketing opportunities, networking events, industry education, representation and cost savings that benefit the bottom line. Our industry produces $21.7 billion in annual sales and is the largest private sector employer in the State with 517,900 jobs. To join the Illinois Restaurant Association, call (800) 572-1086. Visit www.illinoisrestarants.org.
MeMBeRSHIPNOw MORe THAN eVeR THe ILLINOIS ReSTAURANT ASSOCIATION NeedS YOUR SUPPORT Did you know that most Restau-rants and Foodservice Operators who join the Illinois Restaurant Association receive two member-ships for the price of one? Operator Memberships (beginning at $299/year) include automatic member-ship in the National Restaurant Association, which means access to its ever-expanding suite of resources, including the first of its kind Healthcare Notifica-tion Tool, Manage My Restaurant, Toll-Free Information Hotline and one (1) free badge to the NRA Show in May. Please call Eric Fine at (312) 380-4115 for more information.
Learn if you qualify to receive this window decal for less than $1 per day -- money that can pay for itself many times over by taking advantage of our incredible cost saving programs and free assistance, advocacy and advising in running your operation.
GOVeRNMeNT ReLATIONS HIGHLIGHTS, THe ILLINOIS ReSTAURANT ASSOCIATION IS HARd AT wORK FOR YOU!n Healthcare Notification Tool: This year, the National Restaurant Association developed a Noti-fication Tool that makes it simple for our members to comply with the new health care law and offer additional benefits to your employees.
n Immigration: The Illinois Secretary of State’s of-fice is preparing to launch a massive effort that gives as many as 250,000 undocumented immigrants drivers licenses. The state is in the final stages of the process and will begin to roll out the new licenses this month.
n Concealed Carry: Restaurants and companies that prohibit concealed carry on their property must conspicuously post approved signage at the entrance.
n Minimum Wage & Tip Credit: The IRA educates elected officials and stakeholders on the importance of maintain the minimum wages and tip credit for the vitality of our industry.
December 9-16.indd 11 11/12/13 3:45 PM
Page 12 To Advertise Call 847-699-3300 Food Industry News® December 2013
Chef ProfileNAME: George TourloukisRESTAURANT: Five O’Clock Steak-house (Formerly Coerper’s Five O’Clock Club)PHONE: 414.342.3553ADDRESS: 2416 W. State St., Milwau-kee, WI 53233BIRTHPLACE: Nafplion, GreeceCURRENT POSITION: Executive ChefFIRST FOODSERVICE JOB: Dish-washing at my father’s restaurant in ManhattanFAVORITE FOOD: Anything Italian and of course my Ribeyes at Five O’Clock SteakhouseAWARDS/HONORS: Featured on the Travel Channel’s Steak Paradise 3, and interviewed in several Milwaukee publications.MEMORABLE CUSTOMERS: Five O’Clock has welcomed many big names including Madonna, Don Rickles, Kings of Leon, & James Caan.WORST PART OF JOB: Negotiating with vendors.MOST HUMOROUS KITCHEN MISHAP: I asked an assistant to clean the lettuce and he sent it through the dish machine!FAVORITE FOOD TO PREPARE: My famous homemade Tiramisu!PART OF JOB THAT GIVES MOST PLEASURE: Getting compli-ments from our customers.IF YOU COULDN’T BE A CHEF, WHAT WOULD YOU BE AND WHY: I’d be in the medical field, I enjoy helping people and making them feel good.BEST ADVICE RECEIVED: Always keep your head up and pursue your dreams.FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Saratoga Springs, N.Y. in August.WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST ABOUT FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS: Keeping up with current trends in the restaurant business.
How YOUR Poor Planning will destroy Your BusinessAh, the “blame game.” It permeates every bit of slop-py businesses, and there’s always another sucker waiting to take the place of the last loser. Running an operation requires skill, in-telligence, street-savvy, and ethical competition. Think you’ve got what it takes? Use the checklist below to see if you’ve ever copped an attitude instead of thinking for success:
n Hours you’re open are not profitable enough.n Deep discounting, over-use of coupons, not enough advertising.
n Menus too large, too many items, poor presenta-tion, hard to produce, too many loss leaders.
n Overstaffed, under-staffed.
n Poor employee attitude.
n Waste, out of control and theft by employees.
n Lack of inventory con-trol
n Poor records.
n Poor training programs.
n Cash disappearing. In-ventory switching.
n Overpay for your prod-uct
n Bad credit history.
n Don’t know your prod-ucts, services or clients.
n Lack of commitment.
n Working without adver-tising, web presence, online information.
n No pinch-hitters.
n Bringing the “BLAHS” into work instead of the “AHs”.
December 9-16.indd 12 11/12/13 3:45 PM
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Page 14 To Advertise Call 847-699-3300 Food Industry News® December 2013
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INTERNATIONALRobert De Niro to Open Restaurants in Shanghai
The latest Hollywood figure to keep an eye on China’s booming economy is Robert De Niro. He is heading up Project 179, which is a major hospital-ity, dining and cultural destination in China. The 850,000-square-foot complex has been designed to reflect classic 1920’s Shanghai. No specific opera-tors have been named, but Robert De Niro famously opened Tribeca Grill and Nobu, as well as Andrew Carmellini’s Locanda Verde. – Source: grubstreet.com
Russia to Get Charley’s LocationsGosh Enterprises signed a development agree-
ment to open 25 Charley’s Grilled Subs and Charleys Philly Steaks locations in Russia with the partner-ship of Aurelian Brand Development (ABD) and Ori-ando Limited. The agreement will pioneer the launch of the Charleys Philly Steaks brand into the Russian market.
He that would have fruit must climb the tree.
— Thomas Fuller
waitstaff Tip: Repeat First and LastPeople remember the first and last things that you say to them. In “Service That Sells!” authors Phil Roberts and Jim Sullivan recommend that waitstaff repeat key information twice to grab customer attention.
December 9-16.indd 14 11/12/13 3:46 PM
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Page 16 To Advertise Call 847-699-3300 Food Industry News® December 2013
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ADAGIO TEAS 4999 Old Orchard Shopping Ctr. SKOKIE, IL 847-675-7210. This is a beautiful retail tea store in the mall. They have everything: loose tea, tea bags, gourmet tea, lots of accessories, great canisters to store your tea in and tea sets. It’s amazing how many varieties of tea they offer. I picked up some herbal & green tea.
BROWNS’ CHICKEN 3721 147th St. MIDLOTHIAN, IL 708-388-3431. I always start with an order of the mushrooms and breaded gizzards. Then I get a couple pieces of chicken along with a piece of corn. Now, they’ve added something new to the menu; boneless spicy wing zings, so of course I tried those too. Everything was good.
CHICAGO BAGEL AUTHORITY 953 W. Armitage CHICAGO, IL 773-248-9606. Breakfast is served all day. The menu is clever, I love the way they describe the sandwiches. Try the Hangover Helper - scrambled egg, ham & smoked cheddar cheese on an egg bagel. Sandwiches come steamed and the choices are endless. My favorite is the Smitty’s Nook- turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and Gouda on a bialy.
FLACO’S TACOS 3630 N. Clark CHICAGO, IL 773-975-8226. First, you have to get one of the traditional margaritas. Sip and enjoy that with an order of guacamole and chips. Then, I had an order of the pulled pork tamales, which are very good. Add some rice and beans and you will be so satisfied.
FRIACO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT 4405 Fox Valley Center AURORA, IL 630-851-3930. Authentic Mexican Cuisine. Lunch specials are offered Mon.-Fri.
You start off with chips & salsa. For lunch I got the flautas, deep fried tortillas, filled with chicken topped with guacamole & pico de gallo and it was served with rice & beans.
MRS. FIELDS 2172 Fox Valley Center AURORA, IL 630-236-5555. There’s always time to take a cookie break. My two favorite cookies here are the semi-sweet chocolate chip and the oatmeal raisin with walnuts. You can pick up a tin of cookies or a party tray to go. This makes a perfect gift for anyone.
PORTERS GRILLE 1290 Miner St. DES PLAINES, IL 847-824-8330. This was a neat place to have breakfast. Small diner, super clean and you can’t beat their prices. The husband is the cook and the wife is the waitress. They’ve had the restaurant for 10 years. I got one egg and an order of corned beef hash and toast.
ROMANIAN KOSHER SAUSGE CO 7200 N. Clark CHICAGO, IL 773-761-4141. This place comes highly recommended from my neighbors and my friends who keep Kosher. This is the place to get all your Kosher meats especially the garlic hot dogs, sausage and salami. Plus, you have to get some chopped liver. They sell retail & wholesale and they ship their products. If you can’t get to the store, check them out online. It’s the best!
SUSHI HOUSE 175 W. Jackson NAPERVILLE, IL 630-717-8888. The best way to get a taste of everything is by ordering a lot of appetizers. The beef & green onion, crab Rangoon and pork dumplings are something to try. Lunch meals include: the shrimp tempura with vegetables and the sushi maki combo; tuna roll, cucumber roll, California roll, both come with miso soup.
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Health Concerns Affect Frequency of Dining Out in 2014
Right now, the restaurant industry is stable as it heads into the final month of 2013. But traffic and spending concerns loom large over 2014, accord-ing to an AlixPartners study.
The desire to eat healthier ranks as top reason behind consumers’ plans to dine out less in the coming year, surpassing concern over finances which had topped the list since 2009.
Note to restaurateurs—Offering healthier op-tions will be key to profits next year.
– Source: www.alixpartners.com
Pizza Pete - An Orland Park Staple for 40 Years
Pizza Pete got its name in 1967 and has the dis-tinction of being Orland Park, Illinois’ first pizza res-taurant. The carry-out restaurant was originally lo-cated on Union Avenue’s Antique Row in Old Orland. It moved to its present location in 1972. While other restaurants on LaGrange Road in Orland Park have come and gone, Pizza Pete has survived 40 years. For more information, go to www.pizzapeteofor-landpark.com.
Comfort Food for the SeasonThis holiday season, chefs can try their hand at
savory pies filled with beef, sausage or even fish in-stead of the traditional sweet versions of fruit and cream. Start with a made-from-scratch crust and fill with comfort food fare such as tomato sauce, meat-balls and cheese or, for a more seasonal option, use sausage, apples and sage. – Adapted from Chicago Tribune
BOOkSHelF:A Century of Restaurants: Stories and Recipes from 100 of America’s Most Historic and Successful Restaurants$40.00; ISBN: 978-1-4494-0781-0
Rick Browne, recently introduced his new cookbook, A Century of Restaurants: Stories and Recipes from 100 of America’s Most Historic and Successful Restaurants. Rick is the host of the Barbecue America TV series, a photojournalist, food writer and restaurant critic amongst his many titles. In his travels, Rick has profiled 100 of the most suc-cessful centenarian restaurants, taverns and public houses across the U.S. and collaborated his find-ings into this beautiful book. The country’s most historic food scene of the past and present is repre-sented here with facts, photogra-phy and 100 historical profiles and coveted recipes from the country’s longest standing restaurants.
Take a step back in time as you read about the historical food and recipes that shaped our country and sustained these restaurants for an entire century. Recommended reading. - TM
December 17-24.indd 17 11/12/13 4:20 PM
Page 18 Food Industry News® December 2013
GROW Your Business: We Support the IRA!
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Organic Plant-based Syrup Designed to Naturally Sweeten Foods, Reduce Calories
In response to the growing natural and clean label trends, Steviva Ingredients has developed Nectevia, an organic blend of blue agave nectar and stevia ex-tract.
Naturally water-extracted at low temperatures and mildly filtered, the organic agave nectar is blended with high-intensity steviol glycosides that boosts its sweetness, resulting in a full, pure flavor profile that is four-times sweeter than sugar. Nectevia is a substi-tute for sugar, honey or corn syrup and is designed to be used in a variety of applications, including:
l Baked goodsl Hot or cold beveragesl Condimentsl Sauces and dressingsl Cereals and bars, as a binding agent
Steviva Ingredients, Inc., is a global-ingredient supplier with a focus on all-natural, high-intensity sweeteners and customer sweetening solutions for manufacturers. Steviva Ingredients sweeteners and bulk ingredients are all- natural, GMO-free, soy-free, corn-free and allergen-free.
Food Trends to WatchMany trends existing in the food industry will
stretch into the future and become more impor-tant to consumers, as the world population expands and expectations evolve. Local, fresh food with pro-nounceable ingredients will continue to be a prior-ity, in addition to transparency, waste reduction and convenience, writes Doug Austin, senior vice presi-dent of growth and innovation at Marlin Network. –
Adapted from Progressive Grocer
A good objective of leadership
is to help those who are doing poorly to do
well and to help those who are
doing well to do even better.
— Jim Rohn
Top Chef Contestant expands Fast Casual Franchising
Former Top Chef con-testant Spike Mendelsohn has expanded his fam-ily’s Washington, D.C.-based Good Stuff Eatery to three units since the first opened in 2008. The fast-casual burger con-cept will expand to Phil-adelphia and possibly Chicago, with plans to speed expansion through franchising, Mendelsohn said. – Adapted from QSR Magazine
Better WagesQuikTrip, the grocery-
store chain Trader Joe’s, and Costco Wholesale are prov-ing that the decision to offer low wages is a choice, not an economic necessity.
Trader Joe’s “sells twice as much per square foot than other supermarkets.” Trader Joe’s, Costco and Quik Trip, on the other hand, have en-gendered loyalty and expand-ed their public good will with positive, worker-protective strategies that exhibit the im-portance they place on their most valued asset: the people working for and with them, whose skills and hard work are essential to a healthy bottom-line. And that is, after all, the goal of any smart company.
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The 5 Basic elements to Build Your Success
How do you measure the success of your business? Whether you’re a large corporation or a small, family-run shop, these five basic metrics are essential to any operation:1: Profit. Without the money to stay in business, other measures of success are irrelevant. Keep a steady eye on revenues and expenses, and let your people know what they can do to maintain your organization’s finan-cial health.2: Customers. You won’t last very long without sat-isfied customers. Solicit feedback and survey them of-ten. Keep track of how many customers return to your organization for the products and services you offer. Find out what your competition is doing to attract and retain customers so they don’t steal yours.3: employees. Engaged employees provide stabil-ity. If you’re constantly hiring and training new people, you’ll have difficulty sustaining your success over the long term. Monitor turnover, and conduct exit inter-views to find out why people leave. Survey your work-force to discover what people like and dislike about working for you, and do your best to respond to their suggestions.4: Continual improvement. Examine your ap-titude for innovation. How many of your products were developed in the past two years? What new ideas have you tested—whether they succeeded or not? How has your organization responded to changes in your market?5: integrity. Last, but not least: Your organization’s values provide an important guidepost for gauging your performance. Can employees and customers alike de-scribe what your organization stands for? Without a firm understanding of your core values, and their benefits, you’ll have a hard time retaining customers, satisfying employees, moving forward with new products—and earning enough money to make the process worthwhile.
—Adapted from “Five Basic Measures of Success for Your Company,” by Tom Dossenbach, on the Wood & Wood Products Web site
For YoUr BUlletiN BoArD
Darden’s Specialty BrandsDarden Restaurants bought the 10-unit upscale
seafood chain Eddie V’s two years ago for $59 mil-lion, adding the concept to the specialty group that by 2015 is forecast to account for 40% of the compa-ny’s sales growth. The specialty group also includes Capital Grille, Yard House, Bahama Breeze and Sea-sons 52, all eateries that boast more sophisticated menus, upscale decor and higher prices than sibling chains Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse.
– Adapted from the Orlando Sentinel
Spice Factsl The average
American consumes about 4,500 mg of salt per day, which is equivalent to about 2 teaspoons. The body only requires about 200 mg.
l The term mus-tard comes from the Latin words mustum ardens, which trans-lates to “burning wine.” It refers to the taste created by the heat of the crushed mustard seeds mixed with the juice of unfermented wine grapes.
l To prolong ba-sil storage, freeze chopped basil and olive oil in plastic ice cubes or very small freezer containers. Use them as needed.
l In ancient times, corpses were sprin-kled with parsley to help remove the stench. In current times, parsley can be used to freshen breath.
– Adapted from Fact-O-Pedia
Higher Income Households Bring Positive Restaurant Patronage
The number of higher income households grew for the first time in five years, even though real median household in-come remained stagnant in 2012. According to the NRA’s chief economist, higher-income house-holds represent more than half of all spend-ing on food away from home.
– Adapted from restaurant.org
BuIlD Your Business: Join the Ira Today!See how on page 11
December 17-24.indd 19 11/12/13 4:20 PM
Page 20 Food Industry News® December 2013
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hoW To hIre The rIghT BarTenDerAnyone who has owned a restaurant or bar knows that
the bartenders can make and break the establishment by creating unforeseen losses in cost operations. It is important to hire the right person that is honest and re-sponsible for his or her duties. Here are some ideas that may help the owner reduce his odds and get the right bartender for your establishment. This is only a guide and good judgment should be used.
• Did the applicant arrive on time for the interview?• How was their appearance? Was it acceptable to
your standards?• Did the individual fill out the applications properly
without any mistakes, errors or omissions?• In asking questions, does the applicant communi-
cate well using good English language? • Are they able to interact with you in a fluent man-
ner?• Ask them if they have had any management respon-
sibilities.• In the last 10 years, how many bartending jobs has
the applicant had and the duration of employment? Ask to explain why this person works for brief periods of time?
• Ask the applicant if any of his or her previous em-ployers would give references?
• Ask questions on what types of glasses would be used for certain drinks.
• A good, well-rounded bartender can make a least two hundred drinks from memory. For example, how do you make a Bloody-Mary, Gibson, Gimlet, etc.?
• Ask the applicant what different types of register sys-tem he or she had the opportunity to use in their career? Which one’s did they like best?
• What were some of the responsibilities that he was assigned to execute as a bartender while manning the bar.
• Roll play with him or her on some situations and see how they handle the situation.
• Once hired, this individual understands your policies and procedures without question.
• A background check is always a good idea. No matter how good they look to you, they can be deceiving.
• Last, after they settle in for a while, have a licensed professional team come into your restaurant or bar and observe him or her to make sure that person is following all your criteria properly.Bernard S. Kamenear is President of B.S. Kamenear & Com-pany LLC. He specializes in hospitality security consulting as well as helping to establish reduction costs in operations to improve services. He is listed in our buyer’s directories under the Petritis Group, Inc. for further information.
Watch Their Step
Winter is when floors get sloppy. While salt keeps patrons from slipping, it ruins footwear. Keep your crossings clean, and constantly keep that floor clean. Don’t put it just on the shoulders of your workers; get yourself out in front to been seen as part of the team. Ask patrons if they spot anything that needs your atten-tion. Watch the parking spots to be clean and clearly safe. If your doors are too close to tables, patrons will not welcome cold blasts while they try to relax. If you can’t find a way to keep out the weather, call in a designer; we have plenty of them on call through Food Industry News’ directory of services.
Cold weather closes doors and ventilation needs to be in top shape. Is your equipment safe? Are your ducts clean and grease free? Don’t chance contamination; get them serviced. Again, our direc-tory represents the best of local, proven professionals.
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n Information on Units Remodeling, Changing Hands or Expanding
n News of Interest
n Incorporations
n Bankruptcies
n The Edge for Sales
Measuring Advertising ResponseMany people who run ads think they are not working, but are they
absolutely sure? You have probably never heard of anyone going broke from reaching
too many people. For restaurants that generally means consumers within an 8 mile radius of your store. Whether you’re a restaurant or supplier, targeting the right prospects is more important than evaluating response. For suppliers, it means targeting buyers within your trading area. You can never go wrong by reaching those who are your target demographic, as long as they are within your local market.
Buyers will often forget to mention where they saw your ad, and if they are asked how they came to call you today, the answers could be “I’m an old customer,” “I saw your delivery vehicle,” “I passed by your location” or “Everyone knows you.” The most efficient way to measure response is to ask if people have seen your ad. However, in the busy day to day life of the food business, it’s almost impossible to consistently ask new prospects this question.
The truth is that buyers, especially wholesale business to business buyers, will see ads that run consistently, ask others if they’ve heard of your company, watch for more ads and finally pick up the phone and call you.
When you get the call, you are so excited to begin working with your new customer you probably forget to ask if he’s seen your ads. The buyer may mention the name of a customer or two who already buy from you and you may never know that your ads are working hard and performing.
Marketing is a big picture return. You paint the picture, create an image and have to separate yourself from your competition to close successfully. If you don’t take command of what you have to sell and take the right avenues to deliver the message, you risk misinformation being spread about you or worse, no one ever talking about you.
Only advertising will help you mark your territory and define your market. So before you think that your advertising does not work, think big picture: It’s difficult to get into the brain of your prospect and stay there. Only advertising can do that. –Cary Miller
Hot Leads 3.indd 1 6/3/13 10:19 AM
To help take the stress out of the holiday, the non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education is re-booting its Holiday Food Safety Success Kit to give families the resources they need to have a safe, fun, easy, and tasty holiday celebration. Now is the perfect time for holiday food prepar-ers to be reminded of the important basics of home food safety:
CLEAN: Wash hands and surfaces oftenSEPARATE: Don’t cross-contaminateCOOK: Cook to proper temperatures
December 17-24.indd 20 11/12/13 4:20 PM
Food Industry News® December 2013 Page 21
We know we have the best beef available, and we can prove it–with DNA.
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Stoelting Foodservice Equipment presents their VF231 Auto-Serve Twin Twist, Gravity Frozen Yogurt and Soft Serve Freezer. It’s a smart dispense, self-serve operation available from Kool Technolo-gies. After inserting a coupon or cash, user places a cup inside the door, selects the desired flavor and the machine automatically dispenses the correct portion into the cup; remove and enjoy!• Brilliant 7” TFT touchscreen display with ability to play videos• Industry-standard coupon/cash operation• Highly tamper-resistant• Lockable main door and cash/couponcabinet to prevent unauthorized access• Changeable touchscreen labels toadvertise the flavor of the day• Vibrant color LED light show display• Robust testing and troubleshooting mode• Lockable hopper covers and doorDistributed locally by Kool Technologies
online Service helps restaurants and Bars With easier, Faster Promotional offers Distribution
Evanston-based Ground-Level Technologies, a leading source for real-time promo-tional offers, has released a service tailored for restaurant and bar owners to create, manage and publish all their promotional offers in a con-sumer-friendly, ultra-concise format.
Each day, restaurant and bar owners and managers juggle the time-consuming yet critical task of managing promotional offers. Such of-fers include coupons, daily deals, discounted specials, new items, featured items, loyalty offers, specials events and delivery/pick-up offers. Coordinating distribution to their website, blog and social media resources makes the task even more challenging.
The GroundLevel service is an online and mobile ser-vice that allows local mer-chants to quickly and easily link their media accounts to a single source. The benefit is that the local operator is as-sured the promotional offer reaches all visitors, followers and friends simultaneously and in real-time. The simple template allows each offer to be customized with an image, expiration, day/time restric-tions and a link.
With GroundLevel, busi-ness owners and managers create and publish offers directly from their mobile phone in real-time and can schedule a publish date/time in the future. To learn more: https://www.groundleveloff-ers.com/About/HowItWorks
life hacks
Dried paint on a previously opened can is an added burden to open, much less keep from con-taminating the whole can. Putting a rubber band around an open paint can lets you wipe your brush while keeping paint off the sides of the can.
December 17-24.indd 21 11/12/13 4:20 PM
Page 22 Food Industry News® December 2013
“Rest Assured, You Will Be Insured.”
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uS Foods First Customer app Make Business operations even easier
US Foods introduced its new mobile application that puts interactive or-dering tools at the fingertips of its customers. Understanding that foodser-vice professionals don’t often keep traditional business hours and regularly juggle many job demands, the new app allows US Foods customers to cre-ate orders, track deliveries and manage invoices, all from their smartphone or tablet at any time of the day.
“While other apps exist in the industry, the utility and seamless integra-tion of the US Foods mobile app goes above and beyond anything currently available,” said Stuart Schuette, chief operating officer at US Foods. “This app makes it easier than ever before to be a US Foods customer and is an-other way we are staying true to our commitment to innovation.”
The new US Foods mobile app was developed based on customer insights and provides restaurateurs and foodservice professionals with convenient account access anytime, anywhere. Available for download through iTunes and Google Play, customers can seamlessly review their account and man-age their food orders 24/7 through both the app and the company’s online ordering site, USFood.com. Additionally, if a customer be-gins an order on the USFood.com website, it can be viewed and completed through the mobile app.
“My first time using US Foods Mobile saved me 45 min-utes,” said Kirk Iverson, executive chef at Adventist Heath Portland. “One of the best software tools I have used for order entry.” Designed with ease of use and speed in mind, US Foods Mobile features many convenient features such as real-time order synching, voice inputs, barcode scanning and nutritional filters.
With US Foods Mobile, customers can quickly and easily:• Create and edit orders• Track the status of their deliveries• View and search our entire product catalog, including images and nu-
tritional information• Access and share invoicesWith approximately $22 billion in annual revenue, US Foods is the 10th
largest privately held company in America. As one of America’s great food companies and leading distributors, US Foods is Keeping Kitchens Cook-ing and making life easier for more than 200,000 customers, including independent and multi-unit restaurants, healthcare and hospitality enti-ties, government and educational institutions. The company offers more than 350,000 products, including high-quality, exclusive brands such as Chef ’s Line, a time-saving, chef-inspired line of scratch-quality products, and Rykoff Sexton, a premium line of specialty ingredients sourced from around the world. The company employs approximately 25,000 people in more than 60 locations nationwide.
Every lie eventually unwinds to a heartbreaking truth.
restaurants using Supermarkets for Profit
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers says it will sell Red Robin Seasoned Steak Fries in grocers’ frozen-food section, the latest sign that restaurants are using supermarkets to boost brand awareness. The news comes on the heels of an announce-ment that McDonald’s will partner with Kraft Foods Group to test retail sales of bagged and Keurig-compati-ble McCafe coffee.
– burgerbusiness.com
Chicagoland Hottest Seafood Restaurant NeighborhoodsChicago NorthDirk’s Fish & Gourmet Shop - 2070 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago, ILNew England Seafood Company Fish Market - 3341 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, ILRaw Bar & Grill - 3720 N Clark St, Chicago, IL Silver Seafood Restaurant - 4829 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL The Fish Keg - 2233 W Howard St, Chicago, IL
December 17-24.indd 22 11/12/13 4:20 PM
Food Industry News® December 2013 Page 23
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McCloud Welcomes BurkeMcCloud Services, a leading commercial pest management
company providing services to 11 states, announced the addition of Richard Burke as chief financial offi-cer. Burke joins the company with over 24 years of experience in accounting, tax, billing and financial management.
In his new role, Burke will oversee all financial aspects of the company, includ-ing accounting, risk management and insurance, pension plan administration, fleet management, purchasing and con-tract administration, information sys-tems, treasury and banking.
Prior to joining McCloud Services, Burke served as the CFO of Nordic Energy Services, LLC, an energy services company headquarted in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. Burke also served as vice president of finance for Chicago-based Monroe Capital, a middle market commercial lender with over $1 billion of assets under management. In this position, Burke was responsible for financial management and back-office opera-tions. He was also involved in underwriting deals, structuring debt and equity financing and overseeing mergers and acquisi-tions. Additionally, he served as director of finance for Condell Medical Center in the northern Chicago suburbs. Prior to his 15 years as a financial executive, Burke held various middle manage-ment financial roles in a number of industries such as insurance, publishing, electronics and entertainment.
Burke holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Western Mich-igan University in Kalamazoo, Mich., and a Masters of Business Administration degree in finance from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. He is a certified public accountant (CPA), a chartered global managerial accountant (CGMA), as well as a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Illinois CPA Society and the Turnaround Management Associa-tion (TMA).
give Workers a helping hand against Injury
Hands can get hurt in any workplace. The Bureau of Labor Statis-tics reports that around 250,000 serious injuries to hands, fingers, and wrists occur in private industry every year, and approximately 111,000 employees lose workdays as a result. Here’s how to give employees a hand in staying safe:
l Provide protection. Whenever employees work with tools, be sure they’re equipped with sturdy gloves and other protective wear—and that they use them properly.
l Remove person-al hazards. Employees shouldn’t wear watches, rings, or other jewelry or clothing that might get caught in their equip-ment.
l Inspect the tools. Knives and other cutting implements should be in good repair and easy to use. Sharpen as necessary to prevent a dull blade from slipping. Train em-ployees in safe use, and replace any instruments that get damaged imme-diately.
l Clean up. Broken glass or shards of metal should be swept up and disposed of right away. Don’t let employees pick up shattered glass, even wearing gloves—use a broom and dustpan.
l Learn first aid. Act quickly to prevent blood loss and infection. If the wound is serious, seek medical attention for the employee without delay.
Chicagoland Hottest Seafood Restaurant NeighborhoodsNaperville/Aurora AreaCatch 35 - 35 S Washington St, Naperville, ILHugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House - 55 S Main St, Naperville, IL Islamorada Fish Company - 709 N Janes Ave, Bolingbrook, ILSwordfish - 207 N Randall Rd, Batavia, IL Taka Sushi and Seafood - 2960 Artesian Rd, Naperville, IL
December 17-24.indd 23 11/12/13 4:20 PM
Page 24 Food Industry News® December 2013
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Among the volunteers at the 11th Annual Javelina Jundred 100 Mile & 100 Kilometer
Endurance Runs in Arizona’s McDowell Mountain Regional Park, Food Industry News’ Mark Braun (right) and wife pitched in to cook, cut, pack, replenish and rehy-drate runners who challenged desert heat and nighttime cold to push themselves to be their very best. Above: the mobile pizza oven was kept busy with vegan and other offerings as runners dashed through for momentary fuel. Generators, LED light-ing and anything from headlamps to mini flashlights powered the finish line, as cooking came off of propain-powered stoves, and grills. About 500 runners, many in costume, gave it their best shot.
Matchmaker, speaker and au-thor Hellen Chen talks to singles and married couples who have resisted the idea of marriage or have given up on love. This year, the marriage rate in America is continuing its downward slide, with an all-time low on the number of American women getting married. According to the Census Bureau, for every 2-3 US marriages, there is a divorce.
When parents spoil their young children by giving in to their every needs, kids grow up physically but not emotionally. They arrive at adulthood un-prepared for compromise or the ability to see beyond their self-indulgence: they arrive flawed.
Chen points to high school,
where respect can be lost to aca-demic or career goals.
Like etiquette lessons that were once the sign of good breeding, unless one is taught to understand relationships early on, we end up with a generation of narcissistic, adult children.
Chen compares learning of marriage principles to mastering sports or any skills.
“We do not expect to know how to drive a car well without having taken some driving les-sons and have practiced driving. It does not matter how great of a car or how easy the road is. Why would someone expect to have a perfect lasting relationship with-out knowing how to be a good wife or husband?” said Chen.
relationship expert: Marriage Failures Stem From Spoiling Your Kids
December 17-24.indd 24 11/12/13 4:20 PM
Food Industry News® December 2013 Page 25
Chicagoland Hottest Seafood Restaurant NeighborhoodsOak Brook AreaChinn’s 34th Street Fishery - 3011 Ogden Ave, Lisle, ILHoly Mackerel! - 70 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, ILIslamorada Fish Company - 709 N Janes Ave, Bolingbrook, ILJohnson’s Door County Fish - 908 E Roosevelt Rd, Lombard, ILPappadeaux Seafood Kitchen - 921 Pasquinelli Dr, Westmont, ILReel Club - 272 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL Supreme Lobster & Seafood Inc - 220 E North Ave, Villa Park, IL Wildfire - 232 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook, IL
Growing Chocolate Sales
Because the U.S. ranks a low 12th in the world in terms of per capita choc-olate consumption, Mars Chocolate North America has planned a full-year calendar of “sharing” oc-casions to boost sales. In Ireland, Switzerland and the U.K., people are more likely to bring chocolates than beer or wine to social events, the company said. “In the U.S., chocolate is in only 10% of sharing oc-casions. Under indexing, other countries like the U.K. are at 46%,” it added. Mars will first focus shar-ing candy through sport-ing events at the start of next year, and will move onto movie-watching in the summer. – Adapted from Confection-
aryNews.com
Sustainability is The New Standard
In the U.S. alone, ho-tels represent more than five billion square feet of space, nearly five million guest rooms and close to $4 billion in annual en-ergy use, according to the U.S. Green Building Coun-cil. That’s a big impact the industry can make and has made on the en-vironment, in an effort to make sustainability the “new standard” and bet-ter appeal to environmen-tally conscious business and leisure travelers. In fact, 2013 marks the “tipping point” for sus-tainable hospitality, with eco-friendly practices be-coming the norm, rather than the exception, so expect 2014 to see stan-dard “green” practices, products, programs and packages.
Word of MouthThose three little words have always been critical for restau-
rants, with customers spreading the news about their dining experiences to family and friends. The dramatic increase in smartphones puts reviews literally in the hands of millions of Americans and international travelers as they’re deciding where to dine out. More than one-third (34 percent) of diners report that information on a peer review site is likely to factor into their decision when choosing a restaurant, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2012 National Household Survey. Online reviews hold even more weight with frequent diners and Millennials, today’s young adults. Over half (53 percent) of 18- to 34-year-olds report that online reviews factor into their dining decisions, as do 47 percent of frequent fullservice customers.
C & G RESTAURANTA couple months ago, I received a four page
handwritten letter from one of our readers.The letter told a story about an individual,
Alfonso Rodriguez known as “Tony” who started out as dishwasher in 1978 at C & G Restaurant in South Chicago. He continued working hard, demonstrating his passion and commitment to the restaurant; working his
way up from the bottom to becoming the chef. In 1989, his dream came true when he was given the opportunity to purchase the C & G Restaurant.
Throughout the years, even with the changes going on with the economy, Tony’s customers have been there to support him.
The restaurant feels like the anchor for the neighborhood. Some of his staff have been working there for forty years.
Tony views his business as serving friends, not customers. This was obvious when I saw customer after customer being greeted on a first name basis. Tony’s wife Rosie also shares his passion and love for the restaurant. On any given day, you might find her at the register, in the kitchen or taking care of customers.
C & G is a neighborhood diner/coffee shop where you can get a good meal at a great price. The most popular dish on the menu is the meatloaf with mashed potatoes. This is the same recipe that they have been using since 1945.
Open 7 days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the retro-styled restaurant is comfortable, welcoming and seats approximately 50 people.
C & G Restaurant is located at 3003 E. 92nd. in Chicago, Illinois.Interesting tidbit: During prohibition, the basement of the restaurant was a speakeasy
called “Bucket of Blood.”
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Rethink How You Run Your Restaurant
Many restaurant owners are living the dream. They own their own business, control their own future and make their own rules. That said, eighty to a hundred waking hours of the week are dedicated to the restaurant, with another handful of hours spent dream-ing about the restaurant. It’s hard work and it takes im-mense dedication and sacrifice.
That means very little wiggle room for vacations or basic quality time with family. But you don’t have to sacrifice the people most important to you for your work. Here are four ways to reduce the time com-mitment to your restaurant without sacrificing the overall operation of the business so you can be more productive and spend more time with family:
1. Automate what you can. Define what is being done now that can be automated. Determine what manual tasks you manage regularly that can be converted into electronic or computer-based operations.
2. Hire a general manager. If you want to immediately open up your schedule, this is the way to go. Consider less experienced GM professionals coming out of school as a more cost-effective option.
3. Delegate. Don’t sell your staff short. You’ll be surprised at the great results your staff can produce.
4. Use organizing tools. Google Drive and Google Calendar to share documents and schedules, Hootsuite to consolidate your social media postings and Shiftgig, which connects restaurant job-seekers to restaurants in need of additional staff. – Excerpted from
Entrepreneur.
The Minipack MVS X Se-ries is ideal for kitchens, retail counters, manufacturing op-erations, and laboratories. It is engineered for precise, hy-gienic and user-friendly vacu-um packaging. A wide range of chamber sizes, seal bar types and lengths, vacuum pump capacities, and option-al equipment make it easy to find the most efficient system for your needs. They are de-signed with unique hygienic features, such as pop-out seal bars, excess bag cut-off, seam-less chamber, and stainless steel housing. Available from LPS (see their ad on page 8).
December 25-32.indd 26 11/12/13 4:24 PM
Food Industry News® December 2013 Page 27
Visit our website to find all Chicago-area GFS Marketplace locations.
Food is your reputation. Your livelihood. Your passion.
Celebrity chef and nutritionist Mareya Ibrahim has com-plied her annual list of trending food concepts for 2014. Among the changes are swap-outs for old favorites and healthier alternatives that appeal to active, and educated consumers. The report appears on page 31, but some of the concepts are:• For the mac n cheese (1): Clean Mac N Cheese with nutrient dense butternut squash, gluten-free pasta and a fraction of the fat.• For the cake (2): You can have your cake and eat it too, especially when it features beets instead of butter and dark chocolate made with 70% cacao.• For the chicken (3): ‘Fried’ chicken gets a nutritious boost with a coating of flax meal and herbs and a baking in the oven.• For the lettuce wraps (4): Greens replace tortillas as the ‘wrapper’ with cauliflower in the filling for more veggies on the plate.• For the Brussels sprouts: (5) The new queen green: Brus-sels sprouts are mighty for 2014• For the Supercharged yogurt parfait (6): Superfoods like Greek yogurt, kale, blueberries, maca chocolate and flaxmeal supercharge a yogurt parfait
1
3
4
2
6
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Rack House Adds Mobile App
Rack House Kitchen and Tav-ern, 222 E Algonquin Rd.,
Arlington Heights, IL is one of the businesses using their own app to pull in orders. Their new online and mobile ordering platform powered by ChowNow. Customers can place carry out orders from the restaurants website or Facebook. They can also download the cus-tom Rack House iPhone appli-cation and order carry out on the go. The system allows carry out orders to be placed in real time or for future pick up. Cus-tomers can download the app by searching for “Rack House” in the Apple store or wherever Android apps are available.
December 25-32.indd 27 11/12/13 4:24 PM
Page 28 Food Industry News® December 2013
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Chicagoland Hottest Seafood Restaurant NeighborhoodsSchaumburg/Wheeling AreaBob Chinn’s Crab House - 393 S Milwaukee Ave, Wheeling, ILBonefish Grill - 180 S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, ILDover Straits - 890 E U.S. Highway 45, Mundelein, ILJoe’s Crab Shack - 2000 E Golf Rd, Schaumburg, IL Pete Miller’s Seafood & Prime Steak - 412 N Milwaukee Ave, Wheeling, IL Shaw’s Crab House - 1900 E Higgins Rd, Schaumburg, IL
In order to survive, 1 out of 2 fast food
workers’ families are forced to use public assistance
that taxpayers pay nearly $7 billion
dollars annually to cover.
Hospitality Trends ForecastAccording to Kendall College School of Hospitality
Management, which was ranked the No. 1 program in Chicago for preparing students for hospitality ca-reers, the following trends outlook for the hospital-ity industry in 2014 is a good indicator for what’s in store.
l Global going strong: According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the Travel and Tourism industry is currently among the largest and fastest-growing industries worldwide, forecasted to support 328 million jobs, or 10 percent of the workforce, by 2022. A top 10 industry in the U.S., Travel and Tour-ism provides one out of eight jobs, with that number increasing at an exponential rate, adding approxi-mately 55,000 jobs per month in 2013.
l Rankings Mean Business: Never has a user-generated online rating meant as much as it does now. The 21st Century is the age of digital referrals, and the power of what’s posted on the web via user-generated review sites – digital word of mouth – can drastically impact a business’ revenue. There are 3.3 billion brand mentions in 2.4 billion brand-related conversations within the U.S. every day, and the typi-cal American mentions brand names 60 times per week in online and offline conversations.
l Back at the Bar–Traditional Gets A Twist: What’s currently on tap? Classic is the new contem-porary, with bars serving up a renaissance of classic and pre-prohibition cocktails, Vermouth a big hit. And one of the most classic beverages, tea, is giving cocktails a makeover.
l Room Service Reinvented: With room service revenue drastically decreasing – and some hotels like The New York Hilton who are forgoing the ame-nity later this year – the majority of hotels are dedi-cated to reinventing the concept, contributing to an eight percent increase in the number of hotels offer-ing room service from 2011-2012. What’s hot? Well known chef names, concept-driven restaurants and artfully crafted menu items to digital in-room din-ing menus and online ordering to brown-bag meal deliveries. Hotel Belmont in Dallas enlisted Chef Tim Byres, to head up Smoke, a barbecue restaurant with an emphasis on smoked and cured items. And, Omni Chicago Hotel in Chicago is offers a digital in-room dining menu. The term “at your service” will contin-ue to evolve to support consumer needs for simple, fast and quality service – room service isn’t going away anytime soon.
– Excerpted from Top 5 Trends in Hospitality for 2014; Kendall College: School of Hospitality Management
hospitality.kendall.edu
December 25-32.indd 28 11/12/13 4:24 PM
Food Industry News® December 2013 Page 29
Staying at one of the hotels on the beach is the best! You can walk along the beach or street side and check out all the different hotels, restaurants and shops. In this area you will find Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Hard Rock Café, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in the Marriott, Texas De Brazil, Tony Roma’s along with so many other local establishments. You don’t need a car to get around; you just need a pair of comfortable walking shoes. If you want to go to town, the local bus runs along the strip.
Aruba is one of my favorite places to relax and unwind. It offers beautiful accommodations, pristine white sand beaches, entertainment and great food.
It’s safe, it’s clean and the people on the island are so friendly. That’s why I keep going back. For more info log on to visitaruba.com or aruba.com.
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TRAVEl With Valerie Miller
DESTINATION: ARUbAGetting There: American Airlines
Vacations.Flights out of Chicago O’Hare connecting
in Miami. I found the best price and flights with American Airlines. Packages can include air, hotel and transfers. Log on to aavacations.com for prices and availability.
Aruba is located in the southern Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela. The average temperature there is 82 degrees year round with not much rainfall. Aruba is located outside the hurricane belt with constant cooling trade winds. This makes it the perfect vacation destination at any time of the year. One side of the island is very rugged with rock formations and the other side is calm with white sand beaches and turquoise Caribbean waters. Aruba is home to more than 90 nationalities.
Things to do:Banana boating, fishing, jet skiing, kayaking, parasailing,
sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, tubing and wind surfingNightlife – gambling, there are so many casinos to choose fromDe Palm Tours offer:Aruba Sightseeing Tour- Half-day tour on an air conditioned
bus. Visit the famous California Lighthouse, the Casibari Rock formations, Natural Bridge and Butterfly Farm.
Atlantis Submarine Expedition – Board a real submarine, and take an exciting adventure 130 feet below the Caribbean Sea.
Natural Pool Jeep Adventure – Hop on a four wheel drive land rover and drive the backside of Aruba to the Natural Pool on this safari adventure.
Accommodations: (it all depends on your preference)
Condos, all inclusive beach hotels and luxury resorts. The Renaissance Hotel is located in downtown Oranjestead
with an ideal location for shopping and dining. Resort hotels include: Holiday Inn, Hyatt, Marriott, Radisson, RIU and The Westin, which are all located on the beach. Ritz Carlton opened a brand new property along the beach in November 2013. westin offers superb rooms with a view.
December 25-32.indd 29 11/12/13 4:24 PM
Page 30 Food Industry News® December 2013
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Chicagoland Hottest Seafood Restaurant NeighborhoodsNorth SuburbsBonefish Grill - 9310 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, ILDi Pescara - 2124 Northbrook Ct, Northbrook, ILDon’s Dock - 1220 E Northwest Hwy, Des Plaines, IL Nick’s Fishmarket - 10275 W Higgins Rd, Rosemont, IL Oceanique - 505 Main St, Evanston, ILPort Edward - 20 W. Algonquin Rd., Algonquin, IL Red Lobster - 4401 N Cumberland Ave, Norridge, IL Sea Ranch Fishmarket - 518 Dempster St, Evanston, IL
LPS Corp. has partnered with italmodular to bring their innovative overhead rail and modular storage systems to the US. For over 50 years italmodular has designed storage solutions for meat processing rooms, grocery stores and markets throughout Europe and created the opportunity for companies and their people to work smarter, not harder. LPS Corp. is pleased to be their American partner offering personal service to ensure the customer’s vision becomes a reality. Starting with even the most basic of drawings italmodular is able to transform the customer’s thoughts into a professionally designed layout maximizing the space for efficiency and offering solutions to keep the budget intact. To see the overhead rail system and modular shelving offerings please visit the showroom at LPS Corp., 2308 N. 17th, Franklin Park, iL. See their ad in this issue on page 8.
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Food Industry News® December 2013 Page 31
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McCloud Services Hires Morgan Kitlinski as Talent Acquisition/HR Generalist & brian Zeff as business Development Representative
McCloud Services, a leading commercial pest management company providing services to 11 states, today announced the additions of Morgan Kitlin-ski as talent acquisition/human resources generalist and Brian Zeff as business development representative.
An experienced HR profes-sional, Kitlinski will be respon-sible for sourcing, recruiting and on-boarding new talent. She will also oversee a range of activities including develop-ment of programs involving wellness, employee engagement and safety initiatives. Kitlinski joins the company with over 10 years of experience in human resource management. Prior to joining McCloud Services, Kit-linski worked as a senior HR ad-ministrator/recruiter for Acres Group, Inc., located in Wau-conda, Ill. In this position, she focused on corporate recruiting and on-boarding, safety, well-
ness, employee development and training. She graduated from Northern Illinois Univer-sity in Dekalb, Ill., with a bach-elor’s degree in human resource management.
Zeff joins the company with over 17 years of outside sales and sales management experi-ence. In his new role, he will be
Chicagoland Hottest Seafood Restaurant NeighborhoodsChicago AreaBubba Gump Shrimp - 700 E. Grand Ave, Chicago, ILCape Cod Room - 140 E. Walton, Chicago, ILCatch Thirty Five - 35 W Wacker Dr, Chicago, ILDevon Seafood Grill - 39 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, ILFish Bar - 2956 N Sheffield Ave, Chicago, ILGlenn’s Diner - 1820 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, ILGT Fish & Oyster - 531 N Wells St, Chicago, ILHugo’s Frog Bar & Fish House - 1024 N Rush St, Chicago, ILJoe’s Stone Crab - 60 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, ILKing Crab Tavern & Seafood Grill - 1816 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL L20 - 2300 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago, IL McCormick & Schmick’s - 41 E Chestnut St, Chicago, ILNick’s Fishmarket - 222 W. Merchandise Place, Chicago, ILRiva - 700 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, ILSantorini - 800 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL Shaw’s Crab House - 21 E Hubbard St, Chicago, IL
responsible for business devel-opment in the Chicago market. This includes consulting with potential customers, developing sales strategies and facilitating relationships between service teams. Prior to joining Mc-Cloud Services, Zeff worked as a business account representa-tive for Advanced Disposal in Melrose Park, Ill. He graduated from Columbia College in Chi-cago, Ill., with a bachelor’s de-gree in English.
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Page 32 Food Industry News® December 2013
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Top food Trends for 2014What culinary adventures lie ahead in 2014? Here are the top projected
trends for 2014 as reported by chef Mareya Ibrahim:‘permissible Indulgences’
Sales of snacks made from nutritionally dense and functional ingre-dients are on the rise, such as seaweed snacks, dried legumes, seeds like flax, chia and hemp, coconut oil and exotic flavored hummus in con-venience packs. Lu Ann Williams, head of research at the Netherlands-based Innova Market Insights shares, “Consumers are looking for ‘per-missible indulgence’—that’s the big buzzword.” Healthier alternatives to empty calorie snacks like chips, cookies, snack bars, and energy drinks are taking market share from the popular snacks of years past. Additionally, retailers are creating new retail displays for ‘healthy snacks.’ Kings Food Markets, a Northeast grocery chain says it has created “healthy snacks” displays within its produce section. “Customers are looking for ‘healthy’ in health departments versus it being lost in the snack aisle,” says Paul Kneeland, vice president of the produce, floral, seafood and meat depart-ments. “One of my favorite products this year that I see really taking off in 2014 is from Hope Hummus, with their travel packs of hummus in flavors like Thai Coconut Curry and Sweet Potato. It’s a flavor explosion with nutrient dense ingredients” added Mareya. “I’m also predicting in 2014 we’ll see a boom of functional drinks made with chia, hemp and flax going mainstream.”Allergen free for All
According to Food Allergy Research & Education, 15 million Ameri-cans live with food allergies. Sales and consumer feedback shows that even those not diagnosed with food allergens are cutting back on foods con-taining allergens such as gluten, nuts and dairy simply because “they feel better” when they stopped eating allergen containing products. Audrey Darrow, President of Earth Source Organics, a leading producer of raw dark chocolate, says that their gluten free, vegan, organic, kosher, and raw product and manufacturing certification is very import to their growing customer base. Additionally, the Non-GMO status of their products is mandatory to continue their relationships with Whole Foods and other natural retailers. “Gluten-free, vegan alternatives will become pervasive in mainstream, even with chain restaurants and cafes like Starbucks,” added Mareya.leafy Greens in Everything
Samantha Cabaluna, Vice President of Communications & Marketing for Earthbound Farm, the nation’s leading supplier of organic produce, shares through research conducted by the Seurat Group for Earthbound Farm, that “more and more consumers [are] working high-nutrient foods into diets in creative ways.” Noting that “34% of packaged salad pur-chases are used for something other than salad, 27% as a raw ingredient in something else (like a sandwich or a wrap), 7% is baked into recipes (like soups), 4% is cooked on its own (steamed, sautéed), and 3% is used
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in juices and smoothies.” As consumers become increasingly aware of the negative effects of highly processed foods, more are trying and experienc-ing the benefits of nutrient dense foods. Ms. Rice adds that a 2013 Nielsen study showed that “tender leaf blends (spring mix, arugula, spinach, ma-che, and frisee) grew at 12%.” Clean Eating
A new year means new trends, and 2014’s new food trend is clean eating. Clean eating doesn’t just mean washing your lettuce before you make your salad. Rather, the idea is to eat maximally nutritious foods in their most natural, whole state. As more evidence comes out about the dangers of processed food, clean eating tries to side-step the problem by going natural. While the Paleo Diet was the hot new this year it will still remain prominent in 2014 but with a ‘lighter’ twist. In 2014, you’ll see people following a ‘clean eating’ approach, choosing cleaner, leaner meats, plentiful, low starch vegetables, legumes and nuts, fruit and ‘smart carbs’ like farro, an ancient grain that breaks down slowly to sustain blood sugar. ‘Clean eating isn’t a diet, which is focused on calorie restriction. It’s more about enjoying food as close to as nature intended, so avoiding refined, processed foods and any artificial chemicals, flavors and preservatives,” commented Mareya, author of The Clean Eating Handbook released in May 2013. “People don’t want to feel deprived, they want to thrive. This is a sustainable approach that is less ‘meat focused’ than Paleo for all of the non meat-eaters out there.”beyond bacon
In 2013, bacon was pushed into every food product possible but in 2014, meat-free alternatives will gain momentum. New Mintel research shows that one of three Americans is eating meat alternatives, even though only 7% of consumers say they are vegetarian. The Mintel research shows that the number one reason why consumers where buying meat alterna-tives such as tofu and tempeh was for health benefits. The popularity of the Meatless Monday campaign, started by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, as well as other cultural factors, may have helped the popularity of vegetarian proteins. Karrie Hills, a chef for several restaurants in San Diego, California, including The Red Door Restaurant & Wine Bar, says that “over-processed and over-fed GMO ridden food are over-done.” Chef Hills believes that seafood will be a main focus on the entrees in 2014. According to Mareya, a hot new protein that will gain momentum is Shrimp Burgers. Todd Saylor, Senior Director of Culinary at Undine, a dining management company specializing in senior living, hospitals and corporate dining programs, thinks shrimp burgers will be “a great alterna-tive for those looking for the texture of a beef burger with less fat and high-er nutritional value.” The flavor pairs well with ketchup and/or traditional burger toppings, and has less saturated fat than its bovine comparable.Clean Sweeteners
Stevia and other calorie-free, natural sweeteners will become more preva-lent as people are watching their sugar intake. The FDA gave monk fruit sweeteners approval, so expect to see food producers trying monk fruit out in baking, drink, and finished goods products in 2014. The Next New Veggie of the Year: brussels Sprouts
In 2013, it was all about kale but in 2014, the sprout will become the giant. This green, perfectly bite-sized vegetable of the moment has experi-enced sales growth of up to 30% annually over the past four years accord-ing Ippolito International LP (also known as Queen Victoria). Experimen-tation with Brussels sprouts in cooking shows, food service, and restaurants has helped drive its popularity according to Katie Herreld, saleswoman for Ippolito. Additionally, consumers are purchasing Brussels sprouts as a healthy addition to meals or mindful snacking. “Brussel sprouts are super versatile to use and have a relatively mild flavor, whether shredded into a salad, halved and roasted with balsamic vinegar or pureed into a soup,” added Mareya, “so their texture and taste can be transformed based on how you cook and season them.” Mareya ibrahim is “The Fit Foodie” a nationally recognized expert in food safety and eating clean, and an award-winning entrepreneur, chef, author and inventor. She is the creator of EatCleaner.com, the premier lifestyle destination for food information.
Moving Sale!
The holidays are happiest when sale bells are ringing.
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Restaurants are projected to add jobs at a solid 3.2 percent rate this year, accord-ing to the NRA’s chief economist. – restaurant.
org Whole Foods Mar-ket has opened a store in Port Chester, N.Y. The 49,000-square-foot store features a waffle-making station, a juice bar that uses fresh fruits and vegeta-bles, and a growler sta-tion, which sells Cap-tain Lawrence Imperial Kolsch, a German ale brewed exclusively for the store. – portchester.patch.com On December 21st, the streets, steps and side-walk of Galena come alive with nearly 5,000 candle-lit luminaries at dusk. Red Lobster is the world’s largest casual dining seafood restaurant company with nearly 700 res-taurants in the United States and Canada, and more than 63,000 em-ployees. Walgreen’s has 8,541 locations as of this past September in the United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. There are 601 locations in Il-linois. Bacchanal Buf-fet in Caesar’s Palace was awarded Best Buf-fet in Las Vegas by USA Today. There are over 500 daily food offer-ings and nine distinct restaurants in one loca-tion, featuring a team of specialized Chefs who oversee the prep-aration of the major-ity of the food in front of the guests. Meijer
plans to open another store in Detroit proper because sales at the first location have been “very encouraging,” co-Chairman Hank Meijer says. The company also will focus expansion on Wisconsin, where it plans to build a distri-bution center and add stores. – mlive.com Coupons and discounts still rule when it comes to din-ing out—The number of restaurant visits prompted by a deal or discount increased in 2013 after declining in 2012, according to The NPD Group. – www.npd.
com Amazon and Wal-Mart Stores are work-ing to win over online grocery shoppers, a group pioneering on-line grocer Peapod has been cultivating for more than 20 years. The company is con-tinuing to innovate to fend off rivals. About 30% of orders come from mobile de-vices, on which cus-tomers can keep a running shopping list before placing an order. – Source: CNET
National News
Starbucks Corp. reported 2013 as the best year in its 42-year history. As a result of efforts to improve its food offerings, the company’s profit rose by 34 per-cent in the fourth quarter with traffic increasing in all regions of the world, and its same-store sales rose by 8 percent, which includes a 5-percent increase in transactions. – thedailymeal.com
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Delayed Data from Gov’t Shutdown
Restaurant and bar sales increased 0.9 per-cent over August on an adjusted basis. In fact, this increase was the best performance of the major segments tracked by the Census Bu-reau. Food and Beverage stores also reported a 0.9 percent sales increase. For September 2013, restaurant and bar sales experienced a 3.1 percent increase compared to the same month in 2012. Restaurants and bars are up 3.8 percent for the first 9 months of the year on an unadjusted basis. – Adapted from fesmag.com
McDonald’s Seeks New Ketchup Vendor
McDonald’s recently confirmed that it has started the process of moving to other vendors, following the appoint-ment of former Burger King Worldwide CEO Ber-nardo Hees to run Pitts-burgh-based H.J. Heinz Co. Mr. Hees also serves as vice chairman of the board of Miami-based Burger King. – Adapted from Pittsburgh
Post Gazette
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Page 34 Food Industry News® December 2013
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Great Training: Follow These Steps
The secret to successful training is to define up front what you want employees to be able to do once training is complete. Once this is clear to you, use these guidelines to develop your training session:
1. Explain and demonstrate. Begin with both an explanation of what you expect the employees to learn, and a thorough demonstration of the skill so no one misunderstands the point of the training.
2. Plan practice sessions. Consider how employ-ees can effectively practice the skills. In some cases this may be obvious (using a software program’s tu-torial, for example); in other cases you may need to consider role-playing exercises or other approaches.
3. Provide tools. Employees may need manuals, “cheat sheets,” or other documentation to better master the material. Don’t begin training without these, and ask for evaluation of their usefulness when training is complete so you can improve them.
4. Set a time frame. It’s often not reasonable to expect employees to fully master the skills during the training session. Work with employees to deter-mine how long they’ll need to feel comfortable, and how they’ll practice the skill once the formal train-ing session is over.
The Lovely Candy Company launches its first line of premium, certified gluten-free candies, including licorice, caramels and fruit
chews. The company, founded in 2013 in Chi-cago by entrepreneur Mike Nakamura and his wife Jackie, launched its candies in May. Love-ly Candy has already struck a chord with na-tional retailers, includ-ing Target, Hallmark and HomeGoods, which are eager for top-quality candies that speak to a growing number of con-sumers who have food sensitivities, allergies or are conscientious about what they eat.
Winding one’s way down Power road in Mesa Arizona, a familiar sight welcomes expatriates from the Windy City, for there, among the cactus-strewn landscape and dry, baking heat stands Chicagoland Hot Dogs & More (1152 N. Power; chicagolandhotdogs.com). For dogs, it’s Vienna. For gyros, you’ll find DeVanco and for pizza puffs...well, you get the picture. Decked out with Chicago memorabilia, Chicagoland Hot Dogs even has a photo of Superdawg for inspired memo-ries.When FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS wandered into this remarkable find in Mesa, well, it was a little bit of Chicago done so well that we half expected to walk out onto Clark St and head-on into Wrigley Field. Lent brings pepper and egg sandwiches; own-ers Bryan and Heather, grads of Lane Tech and Schurz High Schools, proudly have their sweaters alongside signed sports photos and hometown kitsch. Since 2005, they’ve served everything Chica-go... except the politics.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more
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Baking a Difference
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December 33-40.indd 34 11/13/13 9:39 AM
Food Industry News® December 2013 Page 35
Healthy, Delicious, Kosher, Meatless
Taft Foodmasters has given the kosher consumer a reason to go vegan. A seitan, although made from wheat, has little in common with flour or bread. Also called the “meat of wheat,” cooked seitan is surprisingly similar to meat in both look and texture, making it a popu-lar meat substitute. Seitan is also high in protein. As more people are looking to improve their diet, seitan is becoming a healthy alternative for non-vegetarians as well. Imagine a steaming hot shawarma layered with chummus and tomatoes in a warm lafa pita.
Twenty-five years ago, Jessica Taft was on vacation in Califor-nia, where she tasted her first meat-free gyro sandwich, a dish popular around the Mediterra-nean basin. She took one bite and exclaimed, “This can’t be vegetarian!” But it was.
Jessica was inspired to create her own. Having studied at the Natural Gourmet Institute, Jes-sica and her team of food scien-tists spent over a year develop-ing the recipes for the boldly flavored Vegetarian Seitan Gyro and Vegetarian Seitan Sausage.
In 2011, Jessica launched Taft Foodmasters by introducing Seasoned Seitan products to the restaurant industry.
Seitan has zero cholesterol, 25 grams of protein for each 3-ounce serving, and only 190 calories ... a welcome break for the waistline.
Having a healthy new meat-free product available is one thing, but for the Orthodox community the most exciting part is the authentic kashrus certification, which opens the door to a whole new range of food choices. The Taft seitan is certified EarthKosher, under the supervision of Rabbi Zushe Blech and the Tartikov beis din. Ms. Taft wass thrilled to be fea-turing her products at Kosher-fest on October 28. –HAMODIA
Global Food and Beverage StudyAfter years of focus on cost reductions and op-
erational efficiencies, executives and producers in the food and beverage industry are feeling confident again, according to the 2013 Grant Thornton Global Food and Beverage study “Hunger for Growth.”
The survey reveals a vast majority (90 percent) of food and beverage executives expect revenues to increase during the next year, and one-third are ex-pecting sales growth greater than 10 percent. Food and beverage companies have their sights fixed on profitable growth, with 82 percent of those surveyed citing that their profits will increase in the next 12 months. Industry executives (56 percent) also expect that employment will increase during the next year.
In addition, more than three-quarters of execu-tives report that their organizations will increase spending on equipment, new product development and information technology in the next 12 months. The greatest appetite to invest in equipment is be-ing shown by business leaders in North America (86 percent), and Australasia (85 percent), followed by Europe (77 percent). However, for investment in new product development, North America (86 percent) is showing the greatest enthusiasm.
In the United States, it’s unclear if proposed rules meant to improve food safety and supply-chain trace-ability under the Food Safety Modernization Act are enforceable – leaving some executives to wonder if they need to comply.
“Many companies have programs in place, and they’re trying to make adjustments so their pro-grams comply with the rules,” said Manning. “But at the end of the day, some executives look at it and say, ‘Well, Congress hasn’t funded it yet, and so they may not be able to enforce it.’ This means that many companies do not expect much impact, especially given U.S. budget deficits and cost-cutting.”Other highlights from the survey include:
l Nearly half of those surveyed consider expan-sion via M&A as a viable strategy to strengthen their market position;
l More than two-thirds of food and beverage executives expect costs to increase in the next 12 months, including utility and energy, transportation, labor, raw materials and packaging;
l Food and beverage processors around the globe are moderately to significantly concerned about sup-ply-chain risks related to product safety (51 percent), quality (50 percent) and traceability (35 percent).
Grant Thornton LLP is the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton Inter-
national Ltd. Grant Thornton International Ltd and its member firms are
not a worldwide partnership, as each member firm is a separate and dis-
tinct legal entity. In the United States, visit Grant Thornton LLP at www.
GrantThornton.com.
Safeway plans to close unsold Domi-nick’s locations and exit the Chicago mar-ket by year-end. The company has sold four of 72 stores to New Albertsons. - NBC
News Macku Signature, the latest restaurant from Chef Macku Chan opens at 2925 N. Halsted in Chicago. Macku Signature is an extension of the suc-cessful Macku Sushi concept in Lincoln Park. Macku Sushi was named “one of the 20 best sushi res-taurants in the U.S. by Travel and Leisure magazine. The Brix-ton, the forthcoming upscale, neighbor-hood spot from Tim Casey and Ted Webler owners of The Drum and Monkey, will have Kevin McMullen (EL Ideas, among 2012’s “Young Guns”) run-ning the kitchen and will open within a month. Trans fats were once a staple of the American diet, plentiful in baked goods, microwave popcorn and fried foods. Now, mindful of the health risks, the Food and Drug Administration is get-ting rid of what’s left of them for good. It won’t happen right away. The FDA will collect comments for two months before determining a phase-out timetable, as not
to disrupt markets. Chef Takashi Yagi-hashi is introducing Take Home Takashi, which brings the Mi-chelin-starred chef into your home to cook in your very own kitchen. The cost for the five-course feast is $100 per person with a $2,000 mini-mum. Fifty/50 group executive chef Chris Curren has rolled out the revamped food and beverage program for West Town Bakery & Diner after briefly closing the restaurant. The new menu has much more of a tra-ditional diner focus. Chef John des Ros-iers carved out a little space inside Invosai and the result is The Sidedoor, now open in Lake Bluff, Illinois. -
Source: chicago.eater.com
Local News
WHEAT THINS Holiday are hex-agonally shaped crackers that feature five festive imprints, including snowflakes, a ginger-bread man, a bell and a candy cane, to help you get into the holiday spirit. WHEAT THINS Holiday is a tasty and versatile holiday snack. Whether dipped, topped, or eaten alone, they are a delicious addition to your entertaining occasion. WHEAT THINS snacks are always baked, never fried.
December 33-40.indd 35 11/13/13 9:39 AM
Page 36 Food Industry News® December 2013
The Three Rs of Social MediaThey may not be grammatically or orthographically correct,
but everyone knows the three R’s taught in school: reading, writing and ‘rithmetic. Customer service via social media has its own set of guidelines that aren’t as well known yet, but as social media occupies an ever larger chunk of customers’ awareness, these rules are critical to keep in mind. Work with your content creation team to give great customer service via social media, and you’re well on your way to mastering the les-sons your competitors may have yet to learn.
Recognize Listen and respond to customers who complain. You may not agree with some complaints – and if the concern is in a public place such as your Facebook page, Yelp reviews or Twitter account, it’s probably wisest not to – but you must recognize them. If your blog has 99 approvals that you thank and one complaint you ignore, visitors will wonder why.
When recognizing complaints, try restating the problem to ensure that you understand the concern and show you’re listening.
Respond If you don’t respond on your Facebook or Twitter page, your customers will feel as though they’re broadcasting their opin-ions into empty space. Stay attentive.
The best way to make it clear that you’re listening while still keeping sensitive correspondence private is to acknowledge the concern publicly and ask the customer to reply via the same channel: “Hi, [customer name], and thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. I’ve sent you information about our satisfaction guarantee and our return policy so we can resolve this for you quickly. Please reply when you get the email, and let me know if there’s anything more we can do for you.”
Reward A great conversation is its own reward, but to spark one, you sometimes need to offer a little incentive. By rewarding par-ticipation in your social media channels, you create an open, positive customer service atmosphere that encourages praise as well as concerns. Free samples, coupons and access to exclusive content for visitors who “like,” re-tweet or otherwise contrib-ute to your social media streams give customers something to talk about while thanking your most involved customer base.
While it’s smart to reward regular visitors and participants in your social media conversations, remember giving rewards to people who have given you a “like” in the past as well as those whose new business you’re courting.
Renew Google loves new content, and so do your customers. Part of your customer service program should include regular updates on policy changes, new product lines and other information that could affect how your clients use your product or service. By renewing and refreshing content on your social media channels frequently, you’re following SEO best practices while helping customers feel involved – and involved customers are happy customers. – Excerpted from Business Content, Inc.
RFMA 2013
Illinois Food Retailers Expo 2013
December 33-40.indd 36 11/13/13 9:39 AM
Food Industry News® December 2013 Page 37
This month I am very proud to be pictured with the founder and Chairman of The Board of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Richard Melman. This man needs no introduction and is one of our areas most successful multi-unit foodservice operators. Since 1971 his company has created restaurants that all have a sense of
humor, while embracing the values of excellence in food, quality and service.
Bruce Samples is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at PFG Fox River Foods. Performance Foodservice maintains a unique relationship with a variety of local customers from independent restaurants and hotels to healthcare facilities, schools and quick-service eateries. These operators rely on PFG Fox River for the quality and consistency they have come to trust. Distribution is only part of their story. Customers also tap into their expertise for advice on improving their operations. You may see their ad on page 21 of this issue.
Dick Klaskin is the president of Empire Cooler Service, our areas leading provider of ice machine sales, rental, service and leasing programs for Chicagoland foodservice operations. Dick and Empire understand ice and the needs of customers better than most. Founded in 1932, Empire Cooler, Inc. is Chicago’s oldest and largest ice business machine leasing company. Empire is the exclusive distributor of Hoshizaki Ice Machines, which make crystal-clear, crescent-shaped ice cubes that are long-lasting, beautiful and displace better, leading to higher profits. If a
leased ice machine breaks down, Empire’s large, well-trained service department will repair it at no charge and deliver bagged ice to you within a few hours. Empire’s ice plant can produce a glacial 70,000 pounds of ice per day.
Julia Shell is president of her own Public Relations firm, Julia Shell PR. Julia has a very successful track record of serving local restaurants, bars, chefs and other hospitality businesses. Her rich network of media contacts can escalate exposure of your business and help you to get the attention of local print, TV, internet and radio journalists. Julia’s follow through is excellent, and being a media professional myself, I understand firsthand, the hard work and integrity she puts into promoting each of her clients. Before you hire your next PR firm, I encourage you to interview Julia. She truly understands the needs of those in our industry.
Jessica Taft is the president and CEO of Taft Foodmasters, creators of the original vegetarian Gyros and other products. While seitan has been around for centuries, it has never tasted so delicious. Made in artisanal batches, her Vegetarian Seitan Gyros boldly spiced, high in protein and has zero cholesterol. And since it is pre-cooked, you simply heat and serve. Whether your customers are vegan, vegetarian, or hunger to eat healthier, Taft Foodmasters seasoned Seitan Gyros is a quick, exciting and delicious meat alternative. Be sure to try this product at the upcoming Food Industry Holiday party December 3rd at the Castle Chicago. The product is vegan, Kosher/Parve, Non-GMO lab tested, Made in the USA, Free of chemicals & preservatives and full of flavor. Today’s consumers want healthy meat alternatives and this product is an excellent addition to any menu. See their ad on page 24
Hans Skillrund is the founder and owner of Stick Out Social, a firm offering social media posting service for the food industry along with allied products. When used properly, social media communication channels can deliver customers to your doors almost instantly. They grow and manage these tools for many types of local food businesses. If you are interested in increasing your online presence, check out this company. Their programs start at only $50. per month. You can see their ad on page 30 of this issue.
Holiday Spending – Better This Year Than Last
“Consumers are feeling better about the econo-my compared to last year and they plan to take ad-vantage of sales during key periods,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst, The NPD Group, Inc. “But this year’s holiday will be a tricky one for re-tailers. With fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Government distractions, and lack of newness in the marketplace, retailers will have to rely more on promotions to excite the consumer.” – Adapted from www.npd.com
More Cost Cutting Tips for Your Restaurant
n Maintain accountabil-ity for voids, comps and discounted sales. First and foremost, restrict the void and discount functions to managers only. How-ever, you must also have a system to hold managers accountable to maintain documented reasons for voids and discounts. Hold-ing them accountable helps to reduce the likelihood of them using the void func-tion to pocket cash sales. Unfortunately, manager theft is often never caught because of the control they have over POS totals. The only way to combat this is to make them accountable for the number of voids and comps.
n Reconcile cash on hand every shift. Restau-rants not only handle many cash transactions, they also must keep a significant amount of cash on hand for making change, paying tip floats and petty cash expenditures. The constant movement of cash makes it hard to spot when there are losses. A proven method for tracking cash on hand is to first never mix cash re-ceived from sales with your cash-on-hand fund. Anoth-er technique is to maintain a constant cash supply-on-hand total that is large enough to meet the cash de-mands for making change. Third, reconcile all cash-on-hand funds for each cash drawer, change fund and petty cash fund at the end of every shift and have in-coming and outgoing man-agers sign off on them.
– Adapted from 50 Cost Cutting Tips;
RestaurantOwner.com
Industry Operations ReportThe National Restaurant Association’s Industry
Operations Report reports that independent res-taurants, as a group, average 5% to 6% Net Income (before income taxes) as a percentage of total sales. Conversely, many chain restaurant organizations net about 2 or 3 times that amount, 10% to 15% of sales, at the restaurant level, before corporate expenses.
– Adapted from restaurantowner.com
Guard Against Dangers of Electrical Fires This Winter
As the days get shorter and colder, employees need to remain vigilant about the dangers of electri-cal fires as they turn up the heat. Keep your work-place warm and safe by following these guidelines:
l Maintain your equipment. Check out every piece of electric equipment you have, looking for frayed cords, burned outlets, and other potential hazards. Repair or replace anything that’s not in good condition.
l Place heaters appropriately. If you rely on space heaters, don’t locate them under desks or in enclosed areas where the heat they provide might start a fire or melt the insulation around electrical appliances.
l Don’t overload your circuits. Use power strips, not extension cords, to avoid damage to your wiring. And be sure that your cords aren’t lying anywhere they could trip and injure a co-worker.
l Watch your combustibles. Don’t store card-board boxes or paper goods near electric equipment or outlets. The heat they produce could start some-thing burning.
Cary Miller Presents People Selling the Industry
NOW MORE THAN EVER!Strengthen Your Business: Through Solidarity
Join the IRA Today!
See how on page 11
December 33-40.indd 37 11/13/13 9:39 AM
Page 38 Food Industry News® December 2013
2013 Chefs Hall of Fame Wrap-UpThree culinary pioneers and three legendary chefs were
formally inducted into the Chefs Hall of Fame at the signature fundraiser for the Chicago Culinary Museum on Thursday, October 17, 2013. The eighth annual event and fundraising gala took place at Castle nightclub in downtown Chicago.
The highlight of the event was the induction of Chef Paul Kahan, Pastry Chef of the Year, Chef Alain Roby and Industry Leader of the Year, Richard Melman into the Chefs Hall of Fame for 2013. Honors were also given to legendary chefs: Chef Hans Aeschbacher, Chef Jean Banchet, and the late Chef Louis Szathmary. Previous inductees into the Chefs Hall of Fame include Chef Charlie Trotter in 2006, Chef Jimmy Bannos in 2007, Chef Rick Bayless in 2008, Chef Carrie Nahabedian in 2009, Chef Art Smith in 2010, Chef Priscilla Satkoff in 2011, and Chef Graham Elliot in 2012 with pastry chef Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer.
The event was open to the public and served as a gala fundraiser for the Chicago Culinary Museum in their effort to open a physical museum in which to store artifacts and convey the culinary history of Chicago. Over 400 people attended the function, including all the 2013 inductees plus previous inductees Chef Jimmy Bannos, Chef Priscilla Satkoff, Chef Graham Elliot, and Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer. This year’s attendance was the largest gathering thus far.
The evening featured an open bar, wandering feast from top local restaurants, silent auction, raffle, and awards presentation. Over 20 local restaurants participating in tempting food offerings at the event, including one of Chef Paul Kahan’s restaurant, The Publican, Chef Alain Roby’s restaurant, All Chocolate Kitchen, one of Richard Melman’s restaurants, HUB 51, and some restaurants of previous Chef Hall of Fame inductees, including The Purple Pig, Xoco, Salpicon!, Graham Elliot Bistro and many others. Money raised at the event, which was also the largest sum raised in the last eight years. About the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame:
Founded in 2006 by Chef John Kaufmann and the late Chef John Castro in conjunction with the Chicago Chefs of Cuisine Association, Inc., the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame was created to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Chicago chefs, food manufacturers, restaurateurs and hoteliers, while promoting and celebrating Chicago as a culinary Mecca. In order to preserve and foster Chicago’s rich and diverse culinary history, the museum is dedicated to providing educational programs for all ages. It is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose goal is to raise funds and awareness in an effort to establish a physical museum in Chicago. For more information on the Chicago Culinary Museum and Chefs Hall of Fame, please visit www.thechicagoculinarymuseum.org.
OLYMPIC STORE FIXTURES AWARDED DEALER OF THE YEAR BY INFRICO REFRIGERATION
Olympic Store Fixtures is Chicago’s hottest restaurant designer and equipment dealer. With recent projects: Lawry’s, The Dawson, Circa 57, Chop Shop, Meli, and a legion of their proprietary “Chicago Series” heavy duty cooking equipment in the field, Chicago’s top restaurateurs have taken notice of the service and ingenuity coming with an Olympic partnership. Most recently a
high quality refrigeration manufacturer based out of Spain, Infrico, has been attracting attention in the US. Their commitment to technological innovation and quality guarantee are giving the food industry the piece of mind and control they need to keep their focus on customers.
“This year, we would like to particularly value the outstanding contributions from Olympic Store Fixtures to our North American reputation and their deep commitment to the customers and communities they serve. Over the past 2 years, we were able to sustain a strategic and mutual beneficial relationship with them through trust, communication and a lot of team work.”
You’ll find Infrico products in some of Chicago’s most talked about new venues: The Dawson, Feast, The Gage, Henri, Baker & Nosh, Giordano’s, and more. For information on Infrico and all other commercial cooking equipment and kitchen design, contact Olympic @ 773-585-3755 or [email protected].
BALABOOSTAEinat Admony288 pages; print and e-formatISBN: 9781579655006; Published by Artisan; $29.95 Einat Admony is a 21st-century balaboosta (Yiddish for “perfect housewife”).She’s a mother and wife, but also a chef busy running three bustling New York City restau-rants. Her debut cookbook features 140 of the recipes she cooks for the people she loves—her children, her husband, and the many friends she regularly entertains. Here, Einat’s mixed Israeli heritage (Yemenite, Persian) seamlessly blends with the
fresh, sophisticated Mediterranean palate she honed while working in some of New York City’s most beloved kitchens.The result is a melting pot of meals for every need and occasion: exotic and exciting dinner-party dishes (harissa-spiced Moroccan fish, beet gnocchi), meals just for kids (chicken schnitzel, root veggie chips), healthy options (butternut squash and saffron soup, quinoa salad with preserved lemon and chickpeas), satisfying comfort food (creamy, cheesy pota-toes, spicy chili), and so much more.
Einat Admony is the chef-owner of New York City’s popular Balaboosta and Taïm restaurants, which have been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and New York magazine, among many others. When Einat is not at her restaurants or competing (and winning!) on shows like Chopped and Throw-down! with Bobby Flay,she can be found at home, cooking for the crowd of family and friends continu-ally gathered around her dining table.
December 33-40.indd 38 11/13/13 9:39 AM
Food Industry News® December 2013 Page 39CHICAGO CULINARY MUSEUM 2013 AND CHEFS HALL OF FAME EVENT
December 33-40.indd 39 11/13/13 9:39 AM
Page 40 Food Industry News® December 2013
BOOKSHELF:Repast: Dining Out at the Dawn of the New American Century, 1900-1910$25.95; ISBN: 978-0-393-07067-5
What were restaurants like in the early 1900s? Repast: Dining Out at the Dawn of the New American Century, 1900-1910 takes you on a journey back in time to culinary life at the turn of the 20th century. Authors Michael Lesy and Lisa Stoffer offer an engaging tour through a collection of menus compiled by Miss Frank Buttolph for the New York Public Library. Much can be learned about the culture of the time through the ap-petites of our ancestors. This was the “New American Century.” America was a thriving place where cities boomed in population overnight with a flood of immigrants, the oppor-tunity for work and promise of a better life. More money meant more disposable income, which translated into a thriving society, eager to explore what chefs and restaurateurs had to offer.
Miss Buttolph not only collected these menus for their inherent beauty, but as a testament to the growth of cities, change in the work-force and the overall pace of living, which spawned nearly an 80% increase in restaurants as well.
Twenty-one black and white photographs and sixty-seven full color menus—from upscale to the first chains—will engage you alongside a detailed description of a growing country in which the sophisticated and even rowdy lifestyles of the people transformed the way America ate. Recommended reading. - TM
PROTECT Your Business: Join the IRA Today!See how on page 11
It is important to remind staff that
they are NOT paid to chitchat, check email, send texts, chew gum,
or eat on the job.
The Importance of a Mission Statement
Does your restaurant have a simple mission statement that your staff knows and understands? Does your mission state-ment guide your restau-rant’s every action? If not, you are missing out on one of the most pow-erful communication tools you can have.
The mission for coach-es is to improve their players so they can win as a team. Likewise, the goals for owners and managers are to improve each of their staff. This doesn’t mean that correc-tive action isn’t needed; it simply means that what-ever action you take is to benefit the mission of the restaurant. – Adapted from res-
taurantowner.com
Burger Boom Continues
Consumers are eat-ing burgers more often than ever before, ac-cording to new research from Technomic’s recent Burger Consumer Trend Report. The overwhelm-ing majority of consum-ers (95 percent) say they eat burgers at least once a month—and cravings are driving this high con-sumption. Read more. –
Adapted from Technomic, Inc.
A Final Farewell To Charlie TrotterThe food industry lost an icon when, on Tuesday, No-
vember 5th, 2013 our friend and mentor Charlie Trotter passed away.
I’m sure that most people that had the opportunity to meet Chef Charlie Trotter we affected by him. Initially many thought he was arro-gant when, in actuality, he was a shy man. As your con-versation and relations would ensue, you’d realize he was an engaging, charming man. Charlie often spoke of excel-lence. This mind frame pulled the best out of everyone. Whether a student he would bus in for the lunches each day where they would learn from cooks who prepared their food about how they tried each day to do better than the day before, or an employee who was told to keep the neighbor-hood clean and help neighbors with their groceries, or a sup-plier who had product rejected because it was not exactly what he asked for, or lay people in the industry, most were in-spired by his precision focus. He was a man who knew how to lead and encourage you to have a sense of excellence, too.
Charlie was a very gener-ous man, giving his money and time to so many worthwhile causes-too many to list here. He was also a trailblazer who paved the way for so many chefs and culinarians and helped Chicago become identified as the world class culinary destination it is to-day. Our industry is lucky to have had this shining star among the constellation that makes up our great food city. He will be missed and his memory will live on. As my colleague stated, “Charlie Trot-ter is now a legend.” May his memory help us bring a little more excellence to others in everything we do.
–Cary Miller, Food Industry News
December 33-40.indd 40 11/13/13 9:39 AM
Food Industry News® December 2013 To Place Your Classified, Call 847-699-3300 Page 41
Lease w/ renewal options. Owner retiring... Need enthusiastic new operators!!
BIZ, FF&E @ $149K
FAMILY RESTAURANTThe one everyone wants! 7AM - 3PM! High volume.
Freestanding. Brick. Basement. Parking lot. Signage. Signalized corner. Seats 136. Parks 56. Great kitchen. Beautiful decor. Established 30 years. Well maintained... Pride of ownership
shows!! REAL ESTATE, BIZ, FF&E, PRICE REDUCTION $395K!!
TURN KEYBeautiful restaurant facility. Fully equipped. State of the art build-out and FF&E package.
Dining Room, Bar and Banquet Room. Seats 120 plus 20 on Patio. Paved lot.
Liquor license. POS system. Digital sign. SW Suburb. Your concept works here.
Confidential. Key $ = $125K. Great lease.
FAST FOODNW Chicago. 950 sf. 3 years “New”! Pristine!
Carry-out w/ interior seating for 12 plus 30 on patio. Excellent exposure and signage at signalized bus stop corner.
EZ operation. BIZ, FF&E @ $129K
SPORTS BAR / CLUB: JOLIET AREA!!SW Suburbs’ premier entertainment venue. GAMING MACHINES!!
Big name. Draws from miles around. Got it all: 2 bars, pool tables, flat screens, video games, and ... a large live band room
complete with stages, lighting and sound system. Capacity 400. Fully equipped kitchen. Parks over 100.
REAL ESTATE, BIZ, FF&E, REDUCED TO $895K...OFFERS!!
HOT AREAFormer “Platek’s”. Semi fixtured restaurant in Richmond!
Ready to re-open with minor investment. Freestanding. Parking. Patio. Signage.
Liquor licence available. Inclues a 3 bedroom apartment!Lease @ $3,800/month!
Or, Buy REAL ESTATE @ $329K...OBO!!
SNACKSJust listed. In line “store” at major NW mall.
Established 20 years. If you want to be a “hands on” owner/operator, this is for you!
Get in for the holidays @ $49K!!
YOU CONCEPTTotally re-habbed vintage building on Main Street (Rte # 72!) in West Dundee. FULLY EqUIPPED! Fantastic build-out with dining room/bar/banquets/patios...on the river!! Great lease.
Key $ = $150K or REAL ESTATE @ $995K.
TAVERNNorthwest suburban tavern with 2am liquor license!
Borders Chicago!! Freestanding, mixed-use building with 2 apartments, 2 garages and parking!
TVs, pool table, videos, darts, ATM...got it all! Confidential. Just listed.
BIZ & REAL ESTATE. CALL FOR DETAILS.
MORE LISTINGS AVAILABLE–CALL!SELLING? ALWAYS CONFIDENTIAL!
If you would like to speak with a consultant to buy, sell or lease your business or property; please call us at 312.575.0480 or visit us online: kudangroup.com
Chicago’s Premier Hospitality Real Estate Brokers
Kudan Group, Inc.Kudan Group
FEATURED LISTINGS
Lakeview - 3032 N. Lincoln Ave. - Grand River
2nd generation Restaurant/Bar in the heart of downtown Highland Park, across from Renaissance
Size: 3,500 SF (Bus.) Price: $175,000 (Bus. Sale) Rent: $4,657/Mo. (Gross) Agent: Adam (Code: A111)
Barrington -
End cap restaurant facing Northwest Highway. Full Liquor and Food licenses. Business in operation for over 15 years. Zoned B-3 with indoor seating for 150. Contact agent for full details.
Size: 4,600 SF (Bus.) Price: $275,000 (Bus. Sale) Rent: $8,000/MO (Gross) Agent: Frank (Code: F73)
Barrington -
End cap restaurant facing Northwest Highway. Full Liquor and Food licenses. Business in operation for over 15 years. Zoned B-3 with indoor seating for 150. Contact agent for full details.
Size: 4,600 SF (Bus.) Price: $275,000 (Bus. Sale) Rent: $8,000/MO (Gross) Agent: Frank (Code: F73)
Bedford Park - 6800 S. Orchard Road - Landmark Banquets
Size: 8,900 SF (Bus.) 3.25 Acres Lot Price: $850,000 (Bus. w/ RE) Original Price: $1.35mil Agent: Frank (Code: F71)
Bedford Park - 6800 S. Orchard Road - Landmark Banquets
Size: 8,900 SF (Bus.) 3.25 Acres Lot Price: $850,000 (Bus. w/ RE) Original Price: $1.35mil Agent: Frank (Code: F71)
Reduced
Price!
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Price!
Skokie - 4417 Oakton St. - Chun King Lo Restaurant Building for SaleOne-story restaurant operates in half of building while other half is vacant. Great exposure and visibility. Sale includes all restaurant equipment. Contact agent for full details. Size: 1,625 SF (Building) 2,950 SF (Land) Price: $119,000 (Real Estate) Agent: Rick (Code: 733)
Loop, North -
Franklin and Wells. Space divisible. Lease rate negotiable. Contact agent for full details.
Size: 2,890 SF (Floor 1) 3,065 SF (Floor 2) 2,810 (Floor 3) Rental Rate: $40/SF (Net) Agent: Scott (Code: 459)
Lincoln Park - 2138 N Halsted St. - Halsted Harp
after location. FF&E included in price. Contact agent for a list of exclusions.Size: 1,800 SF (Bus.) Price: $209,000 (Bus. Sale) Rent: $4,826.64/Mo. (Gross) Agent: Scott (Code: 351)
649 Lake Cook Rd. - DC Sarnies
Newly built out restaurant/bar with large kitchen and outdoor seating area (45 occ) and private
dining/event space. Next to Metra station. Private parking lot for 75+ cars. Size: 6,572 SF (Approx.) Price: Contact agent Rent: $10,088/Mo. (Gross) Agent: Jarrett (Code: 644)
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Price!
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Price!
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Price!
Willow Springs - 8989 Archer Ave. - Courtright’sFour-star world renowned restaurant set on 2 acres of woodland. Features custom redwood
Size: 11,188 SF (Bus.) 88,905 SF(Lot) Price: $2,100,000 (RE Sale) Agent: Frank (Code: F90)
Lincoln Park - 2273 N. Lincoln Ave. - Fat Sandwich Co.
Wrigleyville/Roscoe Village/Lincoln Square - 3 Sandwich Shops for SaleAll restaurants hold Retail Food licenses and FF&E included in asking price. Owner willing to
Price: $375,000 SF (Bus. Sale for All 3 Locations) Agent: Jerrod (Code: 517)
December41‑48.indd44 11/12/13 3:24 PM
Food Industry News® December 2013 To Place Your Classified, Call 847-699-3300 Page 45
CHICAGOLAND’S BEST LOCATIONS FOR SALEOnly From Nick Di Brizzi 888-317-7721
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Maywood-drive ThruTurn-key free standing with drive-thru2,100 SF, seats 80100x134.35 parks 18Triple Net $3,500 per month
weSTerN SuBurBSHard corner stoplight intersectionTurn-key, free standing-fast food drive-in 2,132 SF bldg.Plus free standing 1,000 SF family homeLot 13,016 SF parks 25. For Real Estate $525,000; For Lease: $16 NNNNew! ChiCaGo - TayLor STreeT
Come & join famous Taylor Street corridorHome of the original Rosebud, Tuscany, Al’s Beef, Pompei Baker, Bacci, Ferrara Bakery.Turn key, one-story restaurant, 2,365 SF, seats 50. Lot 3,540, parks 4. Everything new and shiny, must see to appreciate. Available real estate $359,000weST SuBurBS-LaGraNGe Park BrookfieLd areaFormer Brunetti’s Restaurant-Closed 9022 W. 31st Street, 9,000 SF restaurant on20,000 SF lot. Banquet, plus full basement; 2 kitchens, 2 bars & 4 bathrooms.For Real Estate: $309,000
BeNSeNviLLe oN irviNG Park roadNational Tenant LocationCorner, turn key free standing fast food restaurant with drive-thru. Presently operating as Brown’s Chicken & Pasta. Site was approved for a Popeye’s Chicken. 2,100 SF bldg., seats 40 on 97.47x150, 14,620 SF lotFor Sale $495,000; For Lease $18 per SF NNNReal Estate taxes $6.29 per SF
ChiCaGoLaNd area American Style Pancake House Breakfast/Lunch Concept, Part of a national chain$20,000 per week verifiableHighly Confidential
ChiCaGo-drive ThruFree standing with drive-thru 3,000 SF, seats 80+/-Parks 40Triple Net $3,000 per month NorThBrook
Fast Food EateryEstablished for 20 yearsTurn-key 2,380 SF, seats 60Hot Location!
SouTheaST SuBurBSTurn key free standing with drive-thru2,150 SF restaurant with drive-thruSeats 75, plus 35 in outdoor patio. 18,750 SF lot, parking for 40 cars. 50’s style res-taurant, looks like a Johnny Rockets motif.Must see to appreciate. Possible seller financing with 30% down.
NaTioNaL TeNaNT LoCaTioNTurn-Key, free standing restaurant w/ drive-thruChicago Midway Area. Maywood-Loyola University Area - Joliet. Chicago North.Hard corner stoplight intersection.
viLLa Park - oN ST. CharLeS roadFree standing 1,663 SF fast food bldg.Diner, drive-in on 10,000 SF lot. Seats 60; parks 25. Completely remodeled in 2010For Real Estate, Fixtures & Equipment $369,500. Also avail. for lease $16/SF NNN
New! PiZZa!!! PiZZa!!! PiZZa!!!Real $$$ Maker. Very well established Lisle– very good cash flow Rosemont– excellent cash flow, low rent Roselle– drive-thru
eLGiN - Nw SuBurBSFor Lease - National Tenant LocationFree standing fast food restaurant, turn-key with drive-thru. 2,732 SF building on 18,738 SF lotLoMBardSteakhouse, Real $$$$ Maker; Verifiable7,000 SF free standing building on (3) acres.Available real estate & business, business only or for lease only.
weST SuBurBS - BrookfieLdFormer Villa Maria-Closed 9237 W. Ogden AvenueEast of I-294; corner, free standing 5,000 SF bldg., plus full basement on 22,000 SF lot$695,000 with 10% down
z Happy Holidays! Thank You For Your Support! z
REALPOUL REALTY“Commerce With Morality™”
2731 W. Touhy Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60645THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING?
Please Call (773) 743-2100Peter J. Poulopoulos, MBA
sPorts Bars• Sports Bars with gaming available from 5,000 to
9,000 sq. ft. Both with patios. High volume sales, favorable lease terms. Both with full kitchens, etc. Seating from 200 to over 350. Very confidential. Priced from $299,000 to $599,000.
JUST LISTED• Italian café in the Western burbs.
Free standing. Approximately 2,500 sq. ft. plus basement. High volume sales. Low rent. Property & business available. Business only - asking upper $300Ks. Call for details.
INVESTOR WANTS TENANTS!• A Former KFC Restaurant, that has been con-
verted! Complete Package including Real Estate! Drive-Thru Window. Good income! Possible seller Financing! Asking $159,000
BUSINESSOPPORTUNITIES
JUST LISTED• “ON THE ROAD AGAIN” Free standing, fa-
mous fast food drive-in with 1950’s memo-rabilia & theme. Local favorite. Known for Burgers, fries and shakes. Seats 80. Parks 90. Property & business $679K.
• “GRILL W/ BAR” 4-Star rated upscale res-taurant with casual flare. Approx. 7,000 sq. ft., seats 230 w/ parking. Real cash cow. Newly remodeled. Turn key. Cozy & warm atmosphere. High value. Low rent. Long term lease. Upper $600K’s
NEW ON MARKET - FRONTIERLAND• Restaurant 15,000 sq. ft. on 10 acres with small
private lake & waterfall. Indoor seating for 450-500. Outdoor deck seats approximately 300. Business & property. Will separate. Call for details.
Happy Holidays!
NEW LISTING -FAMILY PANCAKE HOUSE
• 4,500 sq. ft. free standing facility. Seating for 150. Very favorable lease. Long time established. Western burbs location. Business only. Onsite parking for 50+ vehicles. Asking $249,900
Contact Tom Trainatom@eatz-associates.com1-847-651-3834www.eatz-associates.comwww.eatz-resales.com
Financially Secure Buyer Looking to acquire a locally based established
Chicagoland distributor in the $4 million to $10 million dollar range. The firm may or may not have real estate attached to
the acquisition. Please contact the agent for a confidential discussion about this.
224/520-0185. Thank you.
• Well Established Restaurant• Busy Carry Out and Dine In• Next to Lincoln Way High School• Lunch and Dinner Service• 1400 sq. ft. Interior Space• Additional 2500 sq. ft. Available• Seating for 36 Inside• Patio Seating for 78• Fully equipped (negotiable)• Convenient Parking• Approved for Full Liquor License• Expanding to Larger Location - Must Sell
1) INVESTMENT PROPERTY ‑ Two tenant 9,000 sf industrial building in mint condition on Busse Hwy. in DesPlaines, Il. Net Operating Income $54,000.00 Cap Rate 8.3%, Long‑term tenants ‑ good investment property with no deferred maintenance.
2) OFFICE/WAREHOSE ‑ Single tenant 10,000 sf building in excellent condi‑tion on Colfax Avenue in Palatine, Il. 1,725 sf of modern showroom, 2,500 sf offices and 6,215 sf of warehouse with drive‑in door. Asking Price $549,000.00
3) DEVELOPMENT SITE ‑ Downtown Arlington Heights, on busy Dunton Av‑enue, one block from train and shop‑ping. Site was approved for 49 condos plus retail. Asking $900.000.00
4) OFFICE/RETAIL ‑ Prospect Heights, Il. 4,911 sf center with 4 tenants. Lo‑cated next to Village Hall, building is in excellent condition, 3 units are occupied, 1 vacant. Asking Price $575,000.00
5) OFFICE/RETAIL ‑ Mt. Prospect, Il. new listing 5,400 sf. 2 tenants current‑ly occupy 2,700 sf and the vacant unit of 2,700 sf is fully built‑out for medical. Asking Price $625,000
A critical leadership position that is in charge of aggressively planning, organizing and lead‑ing the sales efforts of Big City Gyros & Pita. Responsibilities:• Expand the company’s presence into the
Foodservice arena and penetrate market segments
• Maintenance of potential customer lists and sales forecasting for accounts and data
• Facilitate successful new programs and sales initiatives for continuous improve‑ment and pricing and marketing strategies
• Ensure customer satisfaction stays high by exceeding customers’ expectations and develops lasting relationships with existing customers and creates new relationships
• The ability to represent the company at re‑gional and national trade shows
• Secure appointments with potential clients to review their direction and needs
qualifications:• 5 years Food Industry sales and managerial
experience with college degree• Exceptional interpersonal, communication,
presentation and relationship building abili‑ties
• A result driven, self-starter, highly motivat‑ed individual
• Proven track record of sales planning and organizational skills
