Date post: | 31-Mar-2016 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | total-food-service |
View: | 235 times |
Download: | 16 times |
2 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
"We know a positive
travel experience
includes the time
that customers
spend in our airports which is why
we've spent nearly $2 billion over the
last few years on improvements at
LaGuardia, the new Terminal 4 at JFK
and this new program at Terminal 2,"
said Gail Grimmett, Delta's senior vice
president - New York. " After hearing
so much positive feedback from our
customers about the food, technology
and retail options that we have imple-
mented at LaGuardia, we decided to
bring the program to JFK Terminal 2 so
even more of our customers can enjoy
the benefits."
In May, Delta opened the new Ter-
minal 4 expansion as the first phase of
a $1.4 billion redevelopment at JFK. T4
features nine new and seven renovat-
ed gates, a redesigned lobby that in-
cludes a dedicated Sky Priority check
in the area, a 24,000-square-foot Delta
Sky Club with the first-ever outdoor
Sky Deck and restaurants from top
names including Danny Meyer and
Marcus Samuelsson.
The new program at Terminal 2
will include seven food and beverage
concepts, fresh markets, coffee shops,
concierge services and the integra-
tion of Apple iPads in the new restau-
rants to make it easy and convenient
for travelers to order food and drinks,
shop, monitor their flight information
and stay connected. Some of the big-
gest names in New York culinary talent
will be developing concepts for Termi-
nal 2, including Andrew Carmellini
of Lafayette and the Dutch, Ceasare
Casella of Salumeria Rosi, Laurent
Tourondel of Brasserie Ruhlmann and
Arlington Club, and Robby Cook of
Morimoto.
The terminal's transformation also
includes new retail additions, with
NYC-focused products and high-end
tech and travel gear.
Temporary versions of the concepts
began rolling out last month with
the full program implemented by the
summer 2014.
Delta again has selected OTG to lead
the enhanced dining experience at
JFK Terminal 2. In addition to the en-
hancements at LaGuardia, Delta's JFK
dining enhancements follow similar
upgrades to Concourse G at Minne-
apolis/St. Paul International Airport.
"JFK T2 gets an immediate upgrade
today with these new chef-driven con-
cepts," said Rick Blatstein, OTG CEO.
"The ideas and passion our chefs have
brought to the table are just remark-
able. This program brings the same
wonderful service; delicious food and
state-of-the-art technology New York
travelers have become accustomed
to at Delta's LaGuardia hub. We are
thrilled to be a part of the continued
investment in New York's airports."
The new eateries include: Due Ami-
ci featuring traditional Italian cuisine
in the distinctive atmosphere of chic
Italy. The menu highlights rustic Ital-
ian flavors and features locally grown
products. A standout will be the salu-
mi and cheese platters, a specialty of
concept Chef Ceasare Casella.
OTG will bring the Beer garden craze
to the airport with Chef Laurent Tou-
rondel. The award-winning chef will
offer his expertise to see that the menu
is as cutting-edge as the selection of
brews. Beer gardens have historically
been a gathering place for communi-
ties and celebration, and they are the
inspiration for this outpost. With a
characteristic Brooklyn edge, this bar
features a selection of more than 20
beers on tap.
Shiso will feature contemporary
Japanese cuisine by Chef Robby Cook;
Shiso brings a modern menu that cel-
ebrates fresh ingredients and tradi-
tional technique. The menu includes a
creative assortment of sushi and rolls,
OTG Debuts New Lineup Of Eateries At JFKBuilding on Delta's substantial investment at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport
Terminal 4 and the success of investments at Delta's Terminal D and Terminal C in
New York's LaGuardia Airport, Delta Air Lines is launching a new chef-driven food
and beverage program at JFK Terminal 2.
// NEWS RESTAURANTS
continued on page 101
Delta Airlines is bringing some of NYC's Top Culinary talent including a new Cirque Madame concept to Terminal 2
3 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
4 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
"IHMRS attendees are not only
looking for new products, but
also for new applications that
wow customers," said Phil
Robinson, IHMRS Show Director. "In
the eyes of the judges, "Pie Squared"
best achieved the competition objec-
tive of creating a revenue-generating
foodservice concept suited for an un-
der-used, non-traditional location or
an innovative concept for a traditional
space." The atmosphere and design
showcase all sustainable materials
while the flow and planning commu-
nicate an espresso lounge meets local
bar/diner.
Using authentic materials such as
reclaimed wood, graphics, stainless
steel counter tops, specialty lighting
and LEDs, and an industrial metal
floor, "Pie Squared" embraces true
materiality. Pie Squared features a
"plug and play" system that can be
easily constructed and de-constructed
using sustainable materials, with all
pieces segmented into 4' sections for
easy shipping and assembly. Demo-
graphic, atmosphere and menu are
all designed to be malleable from an
urban location to the suburban family
to the baby boomer population. The
competition judges also noted its open
kitchen concept and embrace of tech-
nology by using an iPad POS system to
allow customers to self-checkout and
order in advance, both of which cater
to consumers on-the-go. According to
Melanie Corey-Ferrini FCSI, of Global
Test Kitchen Group, "Pie Squared is in-
spired by restaurant trends and Ameri-
can attitudes. This concept combines
the atmosphere of European bistros
with the organic, healthy and local sen-
sibilities that Americans demand. It re-
solves the fast paced needs of business
minds and a tech generation with a
quality fast casual dining experience."
The menu offers breakfast, lunch,
and dinner pies. Each pie is available in
a variety of crusts: original, gluten free,
whole wheat, and acai-chia. Customers
can choose from a wide variety of top-
pings including cured meats, artisan
ingredients, fresh produce, and unique
sauces. Second Place in 2013 competi-
tion was awarded to "Herban Green"
by A'La Carte Foodservice Consulting
Group, Houston, TX, and Third Place to
"California BBQ" from Webb Foodser-
vice Design, Tustin, CA. Graphic con-
cepts for both projects will also be on
display at IHMRS 2013.
Judges for the Foodservice Pioneer-
ing Concept includes Michael Antan-
sio (Overlook Hospital, Director, Food
& Nutrition Services), Geoffrey Mills
(Hotel Association of NYC, Chairman,
Crowne Plaza, Managing Director),
Mark LoParco (University of Montana,
Director University Dining Services,
President NACUFS), Maura Dora (New
York Methodist Hospital, Director, Food
& Nutrition Services), Scott Shippey
(Chipotle, Design Director), James
Dale (Grand Hyatt, Senior Director of
Catering /Eastern Division), Robert
Doland (Jacobs,Doland,&Beer, Design
Consultant), Bill O Keefe (Dine Equity:
AppleBees/IHOPS Executive Director
Development), and Tracy Nieporent
(The Myriad Restaurant Group, Direc-
tor of Marketing & Partner).
The 98th annual International Hotel,
Motel + Restaurant Show will run Sat-
urday, November 9, through Tuesday,
November 12, 2013, at New York City's
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Fol-
lowing a full day of conference and
networking activities on Saturday, No-
vember 9, the IHMRS will feature three
full days of exhibits from Sunday, No-
vember 10, through Tuesday, Novem-
ber 12. The market will present nearly
700 exhibitors and attract nearly 18,000
industry professionals. Foodservice
Equipment Reports is media partner of
IHMRS Foodservice Pioneering Con-
cepts 2013.
Main Office: 282 Railroad AvenueGreenwich, CT 06830
Publishers: Leslie & Fred Klashman
Advertising Director: Michael Scinto
Creative Director: Ross Moody
Contributing WritersWarren Bobrow
Wyman PhilbrookNoelle Ifshin
Andrew Catalano
Phone: 203.661.9090 Fax: 203.661.9325
Email: [email protected] Web: www.totalfood.com
Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 is published monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2013 by IDA Publishing Inc. Contents in full or part may not be reproduced without permission. Not responsible for advertisers claims or statements.Periodicals Postage paid at the post office, Greenwich, CT and additional mailing offices. Additional entry at the post office in Pittsburg, PA. Subscription rate in USA is $36 per year; single copy; $3.00. Postmaster: Send address changes
to Total Food Service, P.O. Box 2507, Greenwich, CT 06836
Global Test Kitchen Winning Design Set For Full Build On IHMRS/Javits Show FloorGlobal Test Kitchen Group of Seattle, WA, has been selected the 2013 winner of the
International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show's Foodservice Pioneering Concept, and will
have its "Pie Squared" design built out on the Show's exhibit floor.
// NEWS EVENTS
In the eyes of the judges, "Pie Squared" best
achieved the competition objective of creating a
revenue-generating foodservice concept suited
for an under-used, non-traditional location or an
innovative concept for a traditional space.
5 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
6 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
"Locally-grown and
produced foods are
a significant force in
our state's economy –
contributing between $2.72 and $4.6
billion annually and employing up
to 28,000 people," said Gov. Malloy.
"Whether you're a tried and true loca-
vore or just someone who loves to eat
great food, get out and enjoy the wide
variety of foods Connecticut has to of-
fer."
Farm-To-Chef Week, an initiative of
the Connecticut Department of Agri-
culture, was established to help con-
nect culinary professionals with Con-
necticut products. Participating venues
create a special menu featuring one or
more Connecticut-grown products.
"Farm-to-Chef Week is a culinary
celebration of Connecticut Grown farm
products during the peak of our state's
harvest season," said Agriculture Com-
missioner Steven K. Reviczky. "It is a
terrific way to try new ingredients and
old favorites used in different ways and
prepared by some of Connecticut's fin-
est chefs and culinary experts. With 76
venues participating throughout the
state, there is a menu and location for
everyone to enjoy."
Farm-to-Chef Week held last month
featured seventy-six, restaurants, insti-
tutions, caterers, schools, farms, win-
eries, and farmers' markets throughout
the state who created special Farm-
to-Chef menus featuring Connecticut
Grown ingredients in each dish.
The launch included demonstra-
tions with top chefs creating dishes
with Connecticut Grown ingredients
provided that day by vendors at the
farmers’ market. Leading the list of
chefs was Ken Scalzo of Sodexo at the
University of Bridgeport, Tisane Euro-
Asian Cafe's Jim Wishneski, Jeff Craw-
ford and Van Hurd of Jordan Cater-
ers and Whole Foods Market's Drew
McLachlan.
To increase awareness and spread
the word, Governor Dannel P. Malloy
met with Agriculture Commissioner
Steven K. Reviczky and Hartford May-
or Pedro E. Segarra last month at the
Old State House Farmers’ Market to
talk with chefs and staff from three
downtown restaurants participating in
Farm-to-Chef Week. State Representa-
tives Matt Ritter and Angel Arce, rep-
resenting Assembly Districts 1 and 4,
joined them.
Executive Chef Jeffrey Lizotte from
Restaurant On20, Executive Chef Hunt-
er Morton from Max Downtown, and
Chef Erigels Kroi and General Man-
ager Ermal Caushi from Peppercorn’s
Grill walked the market and picked
out items that inspired them to create
special Farm-to-Chef dishes. Among
their selections were fresh Connecticut
Grown carrots, kale, tomatoes, green
beans, peaches, and plums.
After the chefs spoke about their
choices and suggested ideas for pre-
paring the different ingredients, Gover-
nor Malloy shared his own favorite rec-
ipes, noting how much he loves visiting
farmers’ markets and cooking with
fresh Connecticut Grown products.
While Farm-to-Chef Week is a special
time each year to celebrate the state’s
farm bounty at the peak of harvest sea-
son, many of the participating chefs
and venues use Connecticut Grown in-
gredients on a regular basis.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank
the farmers who work so hard every
day to produce these beautiful fruits
and vegetables,” said Chef Lizotte, as
he displayed the produce he had se-
lected at the Old State House Farmers’
Market. “When you start with ingre-
continued on page 100
Nutmeg State Chefs Celebrate 2013 Farm To Chef WeekGov. Dannel P. Malloy launched Connecticut's 2013 Farm-To-Chef Week with a special State
House meeting with many of the State's top toques. Malloy encouraged residents to visit one
of the 76 restaurants and other establishments participating in the annual event.
// NEWS EVENTS
Farm-to-Chef Week is
a culinary celebration
of Connecticut Grown
farm products during
the peak of our state's
harvest season.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy launched Con-necticut's 2013 Farm-To-Chef Week with a special State House meeting with many of the State's top toques
7 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
8 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
9 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
10 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
The NPD Group Inc., lo-
cated in Rosemont, IL,
recently released a study
on the growing popular-
ity of prepared foods,
specifically, meals which consumers
are purchasing at supermarkets, con-
venience stores, and other retail out-
lets.
NPD is forecasting that consumer
traffic for prepared foods will grow
by 10 percent over the next decade,
whereas traffic for restaurants will
grow by 4 percent. Simply put, the
industry will have to convince the
dining-out public that restaurants
continue to offer variety, service, am-
biance, and value that can only take
place in a restaurant.
“Capturing visits from direct com-
petition, like prepared-food retailers,
has been the primary source for a res-
taurant operator’s growth over these
past 10 years and thus will continue to
be the case,” says Bonnie Riggs, NPD
restaurant industry analyst. “Efforts
to pull consumers out of their homes
and back into restaurants will require
touting the benefits of eating out ver-
sus staying at home and cooking or
eating meals offered by home-meal
replacement retailers.”
For years it was the sense of the
industry that while the home was al-
ways the competition, the home-food
menu consisted mostly of comfort
foods, including ethnic dishes. If you
wanted a greater variety, you had to
visit your favorite restaurant. Now the
greater variety is available in your fa-
vorite supermarket’s home-meal re-
placement food section.
In addition to offering a large variety
of items, supermarkets are engaging
what is now about 27 percent of the
general population who read nutri-
tionally friendly labels. This is an ad-
ditional advantage for the home-meal
retailer. As of this date, few, if any, of
the sit-down segment of the industry
are providing such nutritional infor-
mation. This 27 percent is bound to
grow, and consumers will be looking
for the same information from the
food service industry, not only the
QSRs.
I do not believe the fine dining seg-
ment will be impacted by the home-
meal replacement market unless they
have 20 or more units; nor do I think
there will be pressure from fine dining
patrons for nutritional information; I
do, however, believe that fine dining
has and will continue to see that its
offerings include healthful choices.
I know of many instances where fine
dining has a heart symbol next to a
menu item, or an indication for low
sodium content. These diners are very
mindful of growing consumer health
concerns and will respond accord-
ingly.
Having said that, I do believe that
both the QSR and casual operator
will definitely feel the effects of the
home-meal replacement providers.
The home-meal replacement entrées
purchased most frequently from retail
outlets include chicken, pizza, burg-
ers, breakfast foods, and macaroni
and cheese, to name a few.
One of the most interesting aspects
of this issue deals with the FDA’s soon
to be issued rules and regulations re-
garding calorie menu posting. The big
questions are who will and will not be
covered. That was one of the issues
leading to State Supreme Court Judge
Milton A. Tingling’s ruling in New York
City, whereby he set aside the mayor’s
“large sugary drinks” ban. He called
it “capricious and arbitrary” because
it did not include convenience stores
and supermarkets. That is the quan-
dary facing the US Food and Drug Ad-
ministration.
The proposed rules would require
all chain restaurants with 20 or more
locations, along with bakeries, grocery
stores, convenience stores, and cof-
fee chains, to clearly post the calorie
count for each item on their menu.
Additional nutritional information
would have to be available upon re-
quest. The rules will exempt movie
theatres, airplanes, bowling alleys,
and other businesses whose primary
Who would have ever thought that when the microwave oven was introduced 45 years ago, it would
become the basis for the development of products that have become not only acceptable to the
consumer, but pose a competitive threat to the restaurant industry? That is exactly what is happening.
// INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
Fred G. Sampson,President of Sampson Consulting, Inc.
WITH FRED SAMPSON
Café Microwave: A Growing Competitive Threat
NPD is forecasting
that consumer
traffic for prepared
foods will grow by
10 percent over the
next decade, whereas
traffic for restaurants
will grow by 4 percent.
continued on page 99
11 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
12 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
The hope is the right restau-
rant will give the growing
number of downriver arriv-
als from New York City an at-
tractive place to eat. And maybe it will
accelerate the kind of gentrification
that has revived other river towns.
"God forbid if the place turns into
something like Hudson, but a little bit
of it would be nice," Sklansky said.
Sklansky, a copywriter who moved
upstate a decade ago, is working on a
privately funded marketing campaign
for the village with a group of like-
minded residents called the Catskill
Action Team. She helped cook up the
restaurant offer this summer.
Team member Andrea Lowenthal is
offering the deal on the ground floor of
a building she owns on Main Street, the
site of an old luncheonette with a black
marble service counter and art deco
fixtures. The new restaurateur would
have to pay for some capital improve-
ments to get the free rent.
The two women said that they're
open to different cuisine concepts, but
that a chef with experience is neces-
sary. To get the word out, they posted
an online video promising, "we've got
lots of foodies hungry for something
great to eat."
"There are many people who would
like a choice between Chinese and piz-
za," Lowenthal said.
There have been more than a dozen
nibbles so far, including people from
New York City. But they have yet to find
the right chef.
Two potential takers are 2010 Cu-
linary Institute of America graduates
Allyson Merritt and Andrew Spielberg.
Merritt said they moved to Catskill a
little over a year ago "to be close to
Hudson" and are considering whether
Lowenthal's building is the right spot
to pursue their dream of a local-orient-
ed cafe.
Village Board President Vincent See-
ley said they want to bring in a restau-
rant that will draw people and their
money from far away. "They're out
there," Seeley said. "We just have to
find the right people that want to make
that kind of investment in the village."
Hudson River Community Seeks Chef With Unique OfferLocals looking to land a buzz-worthy, foodie-friendly restaurant in this Hudson River village are
offering the right chef a novel deal: Come to Catskill with a killer concept — maybe farm-to-table,
gastro-pub or vegetarian and get space on Main Street rent free for a year.
// NEWS CHEFS
13 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
14 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
The International Ho-
tel, Motel + Restaurant
Show® (IHMRS) has an-
nounced the finalists for
the 33rd annual Gold Key
Awards for Excellence in Hospitality
Design. A record number of entries of
over 260 international projects were
considered by a team of eleven promi-
nent judges for these coveted awards,
which recognize outstanding hospi-
tality design worldwide for properties
completed or renovated within the
past 18 months. Winners will be re-
vealed at the Gold Key Awards gala on
Sunday, November 10th, 2013 at The
New York Palace Hotel. The Gold Key
Awards are sponsored by Boutique
Design and HOTELS magazines and
coincide with the 98th annual IHMRS,
which is being held Saturday, Novem-
ber 9th through Tuesday, November
12th at New York City's Jacob K. Javits
Convention Center.
The 33rd annual Gold Key Awards finalists are:
Best Eco-Conscious or Socially Conscious Hotel • Bergmeyer Associates, Inc.
(Boston, MA): Hostelling Interna-
tional Boston (Boston, MA)
• Deture Culsign (Chicago, IL): The
Resort at Isla Palenque (Boca
Chica, Panama)
• Minarc (Santa Monica, CA): Ion
Luxury Adventure Hotel (Hengill,
Iceland)
Best Guest Room — Luxury/Upscale • Rottet Studio (Houston, TX): The
James Royal Palm (Miami Beach, FL)
• The Gallery HBA London (Lon-
don, UK): The Alpina Gstaad
(Gstaad, Switzerland)
Best Guest Room — Midscale/Budget/Focused Service • White Jacket (Singapore): The
Daulat (Singapore)
• Stonehill & Taylor (New York,
NY): The Refinery Hotel (New
York, NY)
Best Hotel —
Budget/Focused Service• The Design Agency (Toronto,
ON): Generator Barcelona (Bar-
celona, Spain)
• 3north (Richmond, VA): Pan
American Hotel (Wildwood, NJ)
Best Hotel — Luxury/Upscale• Foster + Partners (London, UK):
ME London (London, Westmin-
ster, UK)
• Ministry of Design Pte Ltd
(Singapore): Macalister Mansion
(Penang, Malaysia)
• The Gallery HBA London (Lon-
don, UK): The Alpina Gstaad
(Gstaad, Switzerland)
• BBG-BBGM (New York, NY): Re-
vere Hotel Boston (Boston, MA)
Best Hotel — MidscaleGensler (Houston, TX): The Alexander
Hotel (Indianapolis, IN)
SERA Architects (Portland, OR):
Courtyard by Marriott - San Diego
Downtown (San Diego, CA)
// EVENTS
IHMRS Announces 33rd Annual Gold Key Awards Finalists42 finalists in 14 categories remain to compete for industry's most prestigious award.
METRO NEW YORK FOODSERVICE EVENTS
continued on page 88
15 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
16 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
17 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
18 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
19 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
BOOTH #314
20 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
21 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
22 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
23 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
24 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Palm has trained under mas-
ter chefs in Sicily, as well as
under noted Chef Gisella
Isidori in New York City and
with Chef Lidia Bastianich at Felidia,
the acclaimed Manhattan East Side
restaurant. In his 20-year career he
has worked with noted properties as
the Omni Hotel at CNN Center, the
Hyatt Regency Atlanta, the Stouffer
Waverly Hotel Atlanta, New York
Marriott Marquis, the Opryland Ho-
tel and Sandals Royal Bahamian Re-
sort.
“He comes to us with a remark-
able culinary background spanning
important assignments and training
in the United States and internation-
ally," said Ata Kashanian, vice presi-
dent and general manager of Glen
Cove Mansion. "Having worked with
both freestanding restaurants and in
the luxury hotel setting, he brings a
unique understanding of the culi-
nary arts that will benefit our guests
significantly."
Most recently, Palm operated his
own highly successful food & bever-
age consulting business in Houston,
serving Specialty Restaurant Corpo-
ration, Lakewood Yacht Club, San Ja-
cinto North Campus, and a number
of upscale restaurants. Previous to
this he was corporate executive chef
for Damian Demimeals, an exclusive
and high-end healthy lifestyle home
meal delivery service based in Tam-
pa.
A member of the American Cu-
linary Federation, Chef Palm has
appeared in cooking segments on
CNN, Fox, CBS and been featured in
publications such as Food Arts, Na-
tion’s Restaurant News and Culinary
Trends Magazine. He cooked at the
Long Island Hotel And Conference Center Taps Palm For Chef PostThe Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center recently welcomed Kevin Palm
as their new award-winning executive chef.
// NEWS CHEFS
continued on page 95
25 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
And true to the American
experience, Walrus + Car-
penter is an independent,
family-owned and oper-
ated establishment, living
and working with pride.
The vision and concept for Walrus +
Carpenter was created by owner, Joe
Farrell. The restaurant offers American
BBQ cuisine but served with Texas style
flair where the meats are slowly cooked
and main entrées are paired with up-
scale coleslaws and collards.
Tell us about yourself, what’s your cu-linary background and/or prior res-taurant experience?I was born in the Park Slope neighbor-
hood of Brooklyn to an Irish father and
Italian mother who raised me and my
two brothers on home cooking. I recall
very few restaurants as a child because
we rarely ate outside of the home. My
restaurant experience began just out of
college when I got a job waiting tables
in Midtown Manhattan. It was a short
lived experience but it laid the ground
work for my decision to return to this
industry years later after a stint in com-
mercial real estate (the family trade)
and a two year episode of my life where
I taught Algebra and coached football
at my old high school, Fairfield Prep. I
managed a restaurant in Bedford, NY
for four years before setting off to real-
ize my passion at Walrus + Carpenter.
Where did the idea come from for Wal-rus + Carpenter? And what sets you apart from other well-known BBQ restaurants?The idea of Walrus + Carpenter came
from a desire to have a restaurant I
didn’t mind spending countless hours
in, which is absolutely necessary in this
business. This is where I’m comfort-
able. From the music to the lighting, the
vibe to the aesthetic, the all-American
beverage program to the southern in-
spired comfort food. This is where I feel
in my element to entertain. I wouldn’t
call this a BBQ restaurant. I feel low
and slow smoking of ribs, brisket, and
pork shoulder is ideal, not defining.
Why Bridgeport, CT for the location? What attracted you there?Black Rock, CT is absolutely beautiful.
A great place to raise a family, which
is what initially attracted me and my
wife to move here. It has a lot of charm,
friendly residents and an exciting bar
and nightlife scene. Black Rock also
happens to be extremely close to every-
thing necessary for a successful restau-
rant. Not the least of which is a Home
Depot three minutes down the road for
emergencies. Black Rock also has an
eerie resemblance to parts of Brooklyn
just before they became too hip to be
completely comfortable.
What were you looking for in terms of real estate space? And what’s the am-biance like, work with any local res-taurant designers?My good friend and GM Adam Roytman
had told me that location dictates con-
cept. When I first realized that this spa-
cious, standalone building in the heart
of Black Rock with room out back for
a smoker came on the market, I knew
I had found a space that dictated this
concept. Not good to force concepts
where they don’t belong. The ambiance
Joe Farrell, Owner of Walrus and Carpenter in Bridgeport, CT
// MEET THE NEWSMAKER
To sacrifice flavor,
quality, selection, even
food safety and price
in exchange for locally
grown doesn’t get our
vote.
Walrus + Carpenter began with the desire to offer a truly unique American experience... from
their 100% wood-smoked meats coming off their custom-built smoker daily, to their hand-
selected craft beers, wines and liquors created exclusively on American soil.
The vision and concept for Walrus + Carpenter was created by owner, Joe Farrell (L) while the food is handled by Executive Chef Paul DiMaria
continued on page 69
26 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
You’ve established a won-
derful new service, Table
to Table, which helps 60
food relief agencies in
northeast New Jersey.
And in 2010 you were one of 11 peo-
ple in New Jersey to receive the Russ
Berrie Award for Making a Difference,
which honors unusual heroism and
community service by New Jersey resi-
dents. Table to Table is the only dedi-
cated food rescue program in north-
east New Jersey, serving 60 hunger
relief agencies in Bergen, Passaic, Es-
sex and Hudson counties. What makes
it really outstanding is that it gets no
government funding and is complete-
ly supported by corporate and private
donors.
How did this all get started?It’s a long story. Back in the late ‘80s
I took an executive buy-out package –
“a golden handshake” —from IBM. I’d
worked for IBM for almost 20 years.
And I was the first person in line. I
took it. I, I said, you know? I want to
do something else. I don't know what
it is, but I want to do something else.
So I went to cooking school. I went to
ICE in New York. And trained as a chef.
I have to admit; I hadn’t planned on
working as a chef. I was just always
interested in food. I come from a big
food family! I thought, I'll just take a
year off. Go do something that I want
to do. And then I'll figure out what else
I'm doing with my career. So, after I
got out of cooking school, I did some
work with the James Beard House. be-
cause they were associated with the
school.
Then what did you do?I came back to New Jersey and started
doing some fund-raising events for
Share Our Strength, which, at that
time, was trying to end childhood
hunger in this country. They did an-
nual food and wine events called Taste
of the Nation to support local hunger
relief organizations. I did that for a
few years and then something magi-
cal happened. The people that I was
working with, the other volunteers,
said, look, this money's going to sup-
port hunger relief organizations, but
30% of it has to go back to Washington,
and we want it to stay here. And we
knew, again, in northern New Jersey,
there really wasn't a food rescue pro-
gram, like, City Harvest, in Manhattan.
So we went over to City Harvest, and
we asked them if they wanted to start
a food rescue program in New Jersey,
and they said no. But they said they
would help us start one. We then went
back to Share Our Strength, and said,
listen, we're raising all this money, and
we want to start this food rescue pro-
gram. And, so they said, okay. You can
have, whatever you raise next year,
you can have half of it. And you can
start Food Rescue with that.
What happened next?A truck was donated, and because we
had been working with the restaurants
for those food and wine events, we
went to them, and we said, look, if we
start food rescue, will you stay with us,
and continue to support us, both with
the fund-raising and with the food,
and they all said yes. So, in the fall of
1999, we started Table to Table. That's
basically how we started.
What was the operation like in the be-ginning?Well, we started out with this one
truck, and sadly, we knew that there
was more food being thrown away in
Northern New Jersey in just our area
than we could ever possibly rescue. So
we said from the very beginning, we're
only going to focus on Northeast New
Jersey. We're not going to try and ex-
pand throughout the state. And we're
also not going to try and do anything
except pick up food and bring it to
places where it can be served. That's
it. I mean we're not going to have a
warehouse, we’re not going to stock
shelves, we're only going to deal with
fresh food that requires the refriger-
ated trucks that we have.
Where did you start?Whole Foods, Alpine Country Club,
Arthur's Landing, right here in Wee-
hawken.
We brought the food that we picked
up to just a couple of places. And it
exploded. Not on the demand side,
on the supply side. Everybody started
wanting to give us food. And then,
when the agencies heard that we were
bringing them this food for free, they
all started calling. So we knew we had
to raise more money and get more
trucks. And so every single year we had
a new goal, because we're on a dual
path – pick up as much leftover, fresh,
perishable food as possible and at the
same time, bring in enough money to
keep the trucks going.
What was your goal last year?Eight and a half million meals.
Did you meet it?We did 10. This year our goal is 11 mil-
lion and I’m betting we’ll do 12. We
currently bring food, free of charge,
to almost 100 different agencies, and
here's the beauty of it – they serve it
that day or the next day. And we never
pick up any food that we wouldn't eat
ourselves.
// Q&A
Claire Insalata PoulosFounder of Table to TableNewark, New Jersey
Claire Insalata Poulos (C) has been able to attract Top Toques including David Burke and Thomas Keller to Table to Table's Annual Gala
27 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Has this program provided other ben-efits than food?Yes. Agencies can use their food bud-
get dollars for other services. Here's an
example. There's an eldercare facility
in Teaneck, and we've been bringing
food to them for over 10 years. The
money that they have saved from their
food budget enabled them to build
another wing on that eldercare facility.
It gives these agencies the freedom to
use their budget dollars for the very
services they’re set up to provide.
What kinds of agencies do you supply food for? We go to soup kitchens, HIV day
centers, drug rehab places. We go to
homeless shelters. As I said earlier, al-
most 100 different places that are pro-
viding really essential services to the
community.
Where does the bulk of your food come from?Primarily, supermarkets, because if a
restaurant is really operating efficient-
ly, they don’t have a lot of fresh food
leftover.
Is there anything you won’t pick up?Yes, bread. We try and focus on food
with high nutritional value, like pro-
duce and meat and fish and dairy and
so forth. And food left over from ca-
tered parties that may have sat out 3, 4
hours. Many times, these events have
food that's prepared that doesn't get
out. But we always have to be aware
of the temperature, food safety, and so
on. And sometimes they need to save
the food for their staff.
How do chefs figure in to this?They partner with us so that we can
do these fund-raising events and
therefore raise the money to keep the
trucks and the drivers paid. And they
know that when they're cooking a din-
ner at a gala, they are basically driving
our trucks. We take our fund-raising
very seriously. We're rated four stars
by Charity Navigator. We're one of the
highest four-star charities in New Jer-
sey. And it's because we take the mon-
ey really, really seriously. We always try
and get a dollar's worth out of every
dime. And the chefs understand that
by cooking for us one night, they’re
actually feeding thousands and thou-
sands of people.
How much do you deliver food for?Ten cents a meal. So, do the math.
A $600 dollar ticket helps us deliver
6,000 meals. Now, 6,000 meals doesn't
seem like a lot when you're trying to
do 12 million. But they get it. And they
understand that their efforts translate
directly to that food getting delivered.
What about distributors? We do get food but it's not nearly as
much as we would hope, because the
majority of their product is packaged
and canned food, and they have long-
term relationships with places like
Community Food Bank. We don't de-
liver that kind of food.
How is Table to Table different from the Community Food Bank of New York?The main difference is that they have
these enormous warehouses, so they
could take a delivery of, a truckload of
canned items.
How do you feel about your work with Table to Table?It’s one of the best things I’ve done
with my life. And I owe a lot of it to
IBM!
28 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
The Connecticut born Celli
built a reputation as a highly
successful businessman be-
cause he was the ultimate
opportunist who became an entre-
preneur. In 1967, he created his com-
pany, John Celli Custom Furniture and
Designs, now owned by his son and
daughter.
He was known as "The Wizard" by his
employees and as "The Chair Man" by
his colleagues in the business. He was
an original, really old school and a tre-
mendous mentor," noted Don Hayes
of Alicart Restaurant Group. The Man-
hattan based firm operates eateries
including Carmines and Virgils in New
York City. "John taught me the busi-
ness. From the subtleties of furnishings
to laying out a room and maximizing
space. He had this unique ability to see
the big picture of what a space needed
to look like,” added the firm's Facility
Manager.
For Nick Ades, his working relation-
ship with John Celli spanned many
years. The Wisconsin based Ades serves
as the Director of Sales for Woodard
Furniture. "He was THAT guy. So when
you walked a trade show floor with him
he had that uncanny ability to turn
heads," Ades said.
"I met John over 30 years ago,” ex-
plained Phil Driesen. The principal of
Long Island's Dinerite Seating contin-
ued: "I was one of the many fortunate
young people who John took under his
wing when I came into the business."
He was unbelievably generous with his
time and always had a great anecdote
to set the right mood. "
Chris Darling echoed the sentiments
of many industry professionals: "He
was simply an icon and the absolute
best sales person I ever met." His repu-
tation was intimidating but he couldn't
have made me feel more comfortable
from the very first time I met him. Dar-
ling worked with Celli when he served
as the firm's National Sales manager
and Celli represented the line. "He was
a true character who set an incredible
example and taught me so much. What
I will always treasure is the mutual re-
spect that we shared."
"He was an absolute dream for an
equipment and supply dealer like us,”
added Tony Lanza of Harris Restau-
rant Supply. The Westchester, NY based
dealer said: “You simply told him about
a project and he would come back with
an order and you'd have a commission
in your mailbox."
He is survived by a son, Marc An-
thony Celli, and his wife, Krista Muller
Celli, of Tenafly, N.J a daughter, Lynette
Celli Rigdon, and her husband, Chris
Rigdon, of New Milford; seven grand-
children, Alexia, Brandon, John, Alex,
Juliana, James and Maria Linda; the
mother of his three children, Marlene
Celli, of New Milford; his soul mate,
Donna Chiappa, of Yonkers; a broth-
er, Frank Celli, of Arizona; countless
friends who were like family to him;
and nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles
and cousins. He was predeceased by
a son, John Anthony Celli, who died
while serving his country in the CIA in
Saudia Arabia in 1996.
Celli was truly one of the industry's
giants and had left a lasting impression
on legions of industry professionals
who will simply never forget the man
known simply as "The Chair Man."
Legendary NYC Area Furniture Maven Celli Dies At 66John Celli died last month at Westchester Medical Center in New York with his
family and friends at his side. He was most proud of being a father and grandfather.
He loved to be the one to make all the children laugh and giggle.
// NEWS OBITUARY
In 1967, John Celli created his com-pany, John Celli Custom Furniture and Designs, now owned by his son and daughter.
29 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Many seasonal business-
es only have a three to
four month “busy” sea-
son, when there is more
than enough business to be profitable;
it is what happens in the “off” season
that often determines whether or not
these businesses make it until their
next busy season.
It is crucial to have a plan in place to
handle off-season challenges, ensur-
ing that customers have their favor-
ite local restaurant to come back to.
It may not be possible to be profit-
able in the slower months, but with
the correct operating procedures, you
can survive the off-season’s inevitable
downturn in revenue. Here are four
operating procedures to focus on:
Manage Your Cash FlowThe single most important step for
survival of your seasonal business is
rigorously managing your cash. This
takes discipline. Calculate what your
cash flow needs will be based on both
your fixed and estimated variable ex-
penses. Know what your breakeven
point is, as sometimes a viable cash
management strategy is to close the
business for the slowest portion of the
off-season. During the busy season,
set aside a certain percentage of rev-
enue to create a reserve that will help
carry you through the off-season, so as
not to go deeply into debt, if at all. Get
to know your banker, and establish a
line of credit to tap into, as it is impor-
tant to stay current with your bills.
Adjust Your OfferingsChanging your menu can impact both
food and labor costs. Consider replac-
ing some menu items with less expen-
sive, seasonal and local ingredients.
Cooking with what is locally in season
is always less costly than using out-of-
season imported items.
Also, reducing the overall number of
items on your menu and increasing
product cross-utilization allows you to
carry a smaller inventory (see Manage
Your Cash Flow, above), thus reducing
the amount of possible waste. Fur-
thermore, less labor-intensive prepa-
rations allows you to work with less
staff.
An example that combines these con-
cepts: In the winter months, a menu
built around stews, casseroles and
braises allows you to use less expen-
sive cuts of meat, seasonal root veg-
etables and less labor.
Hire, Train and Schedule Wisely
Having a core staff from the local
population can be crucial to your suc-
cess; you will easily be able to supple-
ment your staff for the busy season,
and will not find yourself short-staffed
when your seasonal hires leave. It is
important to cross train your staff,
as it will allow you to schedule fewer
people during slow times, cutting
down your labor costs – a server who
can mix drinks saves also schedul-
ing a bartender for a slow lunch shift.
In these ways, you will always have
well-trained people available who
can handle a wide array of jobs in a
thinly staffed environment. However,
staff and schedule judiciously, as un-
derstaffing can lead to burn out, more
waste due to error from stress and dis-
Whether you own a seasonal clam shack on the shores of New England or are the General
Manager of a ski resort in Colorado, you have experienced the challenges of a seasonal business.
Seasonal Restaurants Preparing for the Off Season, Part One - Operations
// FOOD SAFETY
Noelle Ifshin, President & CEO,4Q Consult ingNew York, NY
noe l l e@4QConsu l t .com
WITH NOELLE IFSHIN
continued on page 86
30 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
How did you get into the industry?As a child I loved to bake.
So I baked at home. I am
the oldest of four girls and we grew up
in England. So at a very early age, I was
beginning to make my younger sis-
ters’ birthday cakes and organize their
birthday parties and then I gradually
found out that I could go to culinary
school.
And it could actually be a profession.
Just really from early childhood, I’ve
always spent time in the kitchen, en-
joying the creativity of baking and
making things look pretty.
As a teacher, what are the common characteristics of kids – and adults – who go on to successful careers? What is the common bond?First of all, you have to have a passion
for the industry and a love of food. You
have to be dedicated to what you’re
doing. Willing to go above and beyond
– come in early, stay late. Help with
extracurricular activities. Be involved.
Those are the ones, who, when they're
out in the industry, are going to work
the same way. They’ll look for places
that will push them more, and take
them to the next step, get a good net-
work going within the industry as well.
The challenge is, not everybody is go-
ing to be on the same page. And not
everybody is going to be the next Julia
Child. But there's a place – if they have
the desire for the industry and you
know the same amount of passion –
there’s a place for everybody.
Some students may just choose to stay
in the local area and be quite happy
going into an in-store, you know, a
bakery within a grocery store. And
making the pastries and cakes there.
And then there's others who will go on
to places like the Four Seasons and the
Ritz Carltons or strive to work with de-
manding chefs.
Do you find yourself trying to make an assessment along the way of the right fit for each student?As educators we grade and assess
what our students are doing, and we
have skill grades, participation grades,
production grades, and quizzes and
exams to assess, are they understand-
ing the material?
And I tell them; I look at you as if I
would be hiring you. The ones who
will go out there and work with some
tough chefs, the chefs are going to be
looking for the same things that I'm
looking at, like working cleanly, be-
ing precise, efficient use of time, good
motion within the kitchen. The abil-
ity to kind of move within the kitchen
as if you have a purpose, and not as if
you're about to fall asleep.
Not leaning on things, standing up
straight. Respect in the kitchen. I look
to see if it’s ingrained in them. And
if they’re not performing, I will pull
them up, and tell them, this isn't right,
and this is why it's not right.
When you're out there, you're going to
have a chef look at you the same way
that I'm looking at you right now, and
they are going to say the same things.
So, I want to try to make them aware
as much as I can, because it's my job.
If I see things are being done wrong I
would be doing them a disservice if I
didn't correct them.
How do you think your students feel about the course, overall? Would they recommend it to others?We have a satisfaction survey every
year, all the subjects that are taught,
and pastry is 100%, yes, I would rec-
ommend this program, even though
it’s tough on them!
How much of success is natural-born talent? And how much of it is a great educator like you bringing it out of somebody? Or, is it a mix of both?A lot of it is practice. A lot of it is hon-
ing your skills, and just common
sense, and the ability to see things.
Artistic talent is great, especially with
pastry, if you have that flare and that
eye for color or form or the way shapes
go together, that is an added bonus.
But, without hard work? And practice.
That's worthless. So it's a little bit of
a mixture. That’s why competitions
are very good . . .because you practice
over and over and over again to finally
perform and peak on that day, when
Chef Susan E. Notter,Director of Pastry Arts at The Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts
// PASTRY CHEF OF THE MONTH PRESENTED BY
Chef Susan E. Notter is the Director of Pastry Arts at The Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts
Artistic talent is great,
especially with pastry, if
you have that flare and
that eye for color or form
or the way shapes go
together, that is an added
bonus.
continued on page 91
31 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
32 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
The event will be held Oc-
tober 17, 6:00 to 9:00 pm,
at 1133 Westchester Av-
enue in White Plains, and
all proceeds from the evening will
help the Food Bank fight childhood
hunger in Westchester.
One in five residents of Westches-
ter County is hungry or at risk of be-
ing hungry; of those 200,000 people,
one-third are children. The Food
Bank for Westchester serves as the
county’s emergency food distribu-
tion network and provides 95% of
food that is distributed to those who
are hungry or at risk of being hungry.
“We are so thrilled to receive sup-
port from neighborhood restau-
rants at ‘An Evening in Good Taste’,”
said Ellen Lynch, executive director
of the Food Bank for Westchester.
“Children are at risk of hunger and
every bit helps. The Food Bank for
Westchester is confident that with
the support of these restaurants the
evening will be a success.”
This signature event features food
from 30 local restaurants and assis-
tance from 100 volunteers, and it at-
tracts 600-700 guests.
“An Evening in Good Taste” will
showcase the culinary talents of
Westchester County chefs represent-
ing the following restaurants: Abi-
gail Kirsch Catering Relationships
(Tarrytown); Butterfield 8 (White
Plains); Café of Love (Mt. Kisco);
Caperberry Events at The C.V. Rich
Mansion (White Plains); Cooper’s
Mill (Tarrytown); Crabtree’s Kittle
House (Chappaqua); Esposito’s
(White Plains); Lulu Cake Boutique
(Scarsdale); Meritage Restaurant
(Scarsdale); Moderne Barne (Ar-
monk); Molly Spillane’s Restaurant
& Bar (Mamaroneck); Mt. Kisco Sea-
Food Bank For Westchester Announces Participating Restaurants For “An Evening in Good Taste”Donate to charity while enjoying delicious delicacies from some of the region’s top
restaurants and caterers at the Food Bank for Westchester’s 23rd annual “An Evening in
Good Taste” To End Childhood Hunger event.
// NEWS EVENTS
33 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
food (Mt. Kisco); Myong Gourmet
(Mt. Kisco); Pinch (Yonkers); Sam’s
of Gedney Way (White Plains); Sun-
set Cove (Tarrytown);The Atrium at
Doral Arrowwood (Rye Brook); and
Toni Ann’s Catering (White Plains).
Cocktails will be provided by Prohi-
bition Distillery and Yonkers Brew-
ing Co.
The event features food stations by
many of Westchester’s finest chefs,
who donate their product, time and
talent to make this an exciting eve-
ning.
Tickets are $200/person and spon-
sorships are available. For informa-
tion, call Katy Coppinger at (914)
923-1100 or visit www.foodbankfor-
westchester.org.
Incorporated in 1988, the Food
Bank for Westchester is one of eight
food banks in New York State. It ac-
quires, warehouses and distributes
more than 7 million pounds of food
annually to 230 frontline hunger-
relief programs, including food pan-
tries, soup kitchens, shelters, day
care and residential programs serv-
ing the 200,000 Westchester resi-
dents who are hungry or at risk of
being hungry. Based in Elmsford, NY,
the Food Bank is located in a 36,000sf
warehouse and is home to Westches-
ter’s largest refrigerator and freezer.
34 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Slip And Fall Injuries
Are Costly
Investing in employee
education on preventing
slip, trip and fall hazards
and ingraining safety best practices
into your workplace's culture can lead
to substantial long-term cost savings.
Consider that the average cost of a
typical slip and fall injury is $20,000
while the cost to defend a slip and fall
claim is $50,000. Additionally, an em-
ployee misses an average of 38 work
days with a slip-related injury, costing
your organization in lost productivity
while driving up your insurance costs.
Common CausesThe most common causes of slip and
fall accidents are poor walking sur-
faces (55%) and inadequate footwear
(24%), accounting for 79% of inci-
dents.
Top 10 Slip, Trip and Fall Hazards • Contamination of floors
• Poor drainage
• Indoor walking surface irregulari-
ties
• Outdoor walking surface irregu-
larities
• Adverse weather conditions, such
as ice and snow
• Inadequate lighting
• Stairs and handrails
• Stepstools and ladders
• Messy work areas
• Improper use of floor mats and
runners
Best PracticesAll of these hazards can be addressed
and mitigated through the implemen-
tation of slip, trip and fall prevention
best practices:
Workplace and Work Process Design Designing your space and processes
to prevent potential exposure to haz-
ards will keep your employees safe
while reducing your potential liability
and costs. Your business should:
• Contain work processes to pre-
vent discharge, splatter or spillage
of liquids, oils, particles or dust
onto the floor.
• Use drip trays to contain leaks of
lubricant from machinery and
perform regularly scheduled
maintenance.
• Use adequate ventilation to avoid
smoke, steam and condensation
of water and grease.
• Provide adequate lighting to keep
work areas, aisles, stairwells and
other paths of travel well-lit.
• Make sure stairs have sufficient
handrails.
• Provide effective drainage and
work platforms.
• Install slip-resistant floors in high
risk areas.
Good Housekeeping Maintaining work areas free of clutter
and obstacles will greatly reduce haz-
ards and exposure to accidents. Good
housekeeping should start at the top
and filter throughout the organization.
Instilling cleanliness and organization
in your company will ensure account-
ability and send a message to your
employees that management is com-
mitted to a safe environment. Instill-
ing this behavior within the culture of
your business will allow it to become
second nature to your employees.
Assess high-risk areas Conducting proactive and regular as-
sessments of high-risk areas is an ef-
fective preventive measure. The areas
that should be assessed regularly in-
clude:
• Transition areas
• Building entrances
Restaurant Risk Control: Reduce Costs by Preventing Slips, Trips and FallsMaintaining a safe environment for employees, contractors, and other visitors to your restaurant is an essential
element of risk management. Slips, trips and falls are among the most common and costly workplace accidents
across all industries, accounting for 35% of incidents and 65% of lost work days. The good news is that the majority
of slips, trips and falls in the workplace are preventable.
// INSURANCE FIORITO ON INSURANCE
Bob Fiorito,Vice President of Business Development at Hub International
continued on page 74
Designing your space and processes to
prevent potential exposure to hazards will
keep your employees safe while reducing
your potential liability and costs.
35 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
36 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Fresh Origins has become
the largest grower of Micro-
Greens and Edible Flowers in
the country. The farm was
founded by David Sasuga, af-
ter growing flowering plants
for 20 years. David always wanted to
grow fresh produce and the opportu-
nity came unexpectedly. Back in 1995,
a local chef came to their greenhouse
and got excited when he saw some ba-
sil seedlings growing there. He wanted
to try using them to accent his plate
presentations and although it did
not make a lot of sense at the time, it
was then that David began producing
these and other varieties of tiny, fresh-
cut seedlings destined for restaurants.
Fresh Origins has come a long way
since then, and David and his fam-
ily produce a wide variety of Micro-
Greens, PetiteGreens, Edible Flowers,
and related items for chefs throughout
North America.
At Fresh Origins, innovation is a way
of life. They are continually working to
imagine and develop the latest ideas
in microgreens and edible flowers. As
a result, we have created several origi-
nal, unique items such as FireStixTM,
MicroFlowersTM, Petite Amaranth Car-
nival MixTM, Micro Mustard DijonTM,
Micro Mirepoix MixTM, Micro Celery
Gold SplashTM, Micro Carrot Fern-
leaf, Begonia Angel Wing, Micro Fines
Herbes MixTM, Micro Cucumber, Pe-
tite Pumpkin Green, Micro Tangerine
LaceTM, Gold Haricot ShootsTM, Nature
StrawsTM, Micro Celery Feather Leaf,
Micro Absinthe MixTM, and more. With
an extensive product list with over
400 items, most are available all year.
Where did the idea for Fresh Origins come from?
18 years ago, a chef who saw our Ba-
sil seedlings encouraged us to harvest
them at the seedling stage for culinary
use. From those humble beginnings,
we have become America’s leading
grower of Microgreens! Our products
are on top of the finest cuisine in the
world.
Locally sourced is the buzz today. How does Fresh Origins fill that need? Local produce is good but often it is
of lower quality, and limited in variety
and selection, due to a less than ideal
climate or growing conditions. Rather
than arbitrary designations of local
(100 miles?, 200 miles?, 300 miles?),
we think the most important factor
should be flavor and quality.
To sacrifice flavor, quality, selection,
even food safety and price in exchange
for locally grown doesn’t get our vote.
We should celebrate the choices we
have available to us from all over the
world. The best tasting food comes
from where it grows best and most
efficiently with the lowest energy use
and a lot of times that’s not within 100
miles.
Food safety is also a huge consider-
ation and it may not be worth tak-
ing the risk buying from a farm that
does not have a third party audited
food safety program with a superior
rating. Fresh Origins has the wid-
est year- round selection and highest
quality Microgreens, Edible Flow-
ers and related products available in
North America. Our farm is regularly
inspected and has the highest ratings
for its food safety program.
What's the impact on the growing environment you've created on the product?
David Sasuga, Founder of Fresh Origins in San Diego, CA
// MEET THE NEWSMAKER
To sacrifice flavor,
quality, selection, even
food safety and price
in exchange for locally
grown doesn’t get our
vote.
Dave Sasuga and daughter, Kelly of Fresh Origins in San Diego
Fresh Origins Farm produces MicroGreens, PetiteGreens, TinyVeggies™, Herb Crystals™
and Edible Flowers near San Diego, California. The ideal growing climate allows them to
produce a micro green that is robust, healthy and highly flavored.
37 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Growing crops in the ideal climate
such as Fresh Origins does in San Di-
ego results in the lowest possible im-
pact on the environment. The energy
usage for transportation of produce
from California is a tiny fraction of
the overall usage in growing it. Trying
to produce these products in harsher
climates uses a tremendous amount
of fuel for heating, cooling and ven-
tilation in amounts of fuel usage that
dwarfs the amount of energy used for
transportation of produce from where
it grows best.
Think of how much it would cost to
grow pineapples or bananas in the
Mid-West and it’s easy to understand
that produce grows best both in terms
of high quality and the lowest envi-
ronmental impact when it is grown
where the climate is right. Fresh Ori-
gins grows its products in the ideal cli-
mate, which not only results in a mini-
mal environmental impact, it makes
a huge difference in the quality, color,
flavor intensity and shelf life of our
products.
How are these products beneficial to people with high blood pressure or diabetes? Of course, fresh vegetables are an im-
portant part of staying healthy.
Describe the flavor profiles that the product features: natural taste or highly seasoned taste? Fresh Origins produces Microgreens
and related products that have a vast
array of flavors. That is why top chefs
find them to be an ideal ingredient,
bringing freshness and flavor to their
dishes.
How much of price per serving premi-um can the chef/restaurateur expect to pay for Fresh Origins? The cost per serving will vary depend-
ing on the amount of product used,
but the cost is minimal due to the in-
tense flavors which means a little goes
a long way.
Why should a distributor stock Fresh Origins? Fresh Origins products are of the
highest quality available. The selec-
tion is second to none and due to the
benefits of our climate, we can offer a
great availability all year and we have
a superior-rated food safety program.
What's the next step for a Metro NYC area chef to buy Fresh Origins? Contact their favorite produce distrib-
utor and ask for Fresh Origins prod-
ucts!
Combining the benefits of our great weather with a deep passion for quality & innovation, Fresh Origins has become the largest grower of MicroGreens & Edible Flowers in North America. The farm was founded by Dave Sasuga, after growing flowering plants for 20 years.
Growing crops in the ideal climate such as Fresh
Origins does in San Diego results in the lowest
possible impact on the environment. The energy
usage for transportation of produce from California
is a tiny fraction of the overall usage in growing it.
38 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
When I am conduct-
ing an initial assess-
ment of a company
or stand alone op-
eration’s food safety program and I
come to IPM, I always think to myself
“Please impress me.” I take a deep
breath and ask the question “What is
your pest control program?” Unfor-
tunately, too often the contact person
points to a contract pest control com-
pany’s binder on a shelf. I open the
binder and there are multiple pages
with no pest activity written and an
illegible scrawl representing the Pest
Control Operator’s signature, an eve-
ning time in and out of the retail food
establishment and no signature from
a food service manager or supervisor.
Like most contractors you can find
quality or inexpensive choices. A
manager needs to decide that pest
control is important and finding the
right “partner” for his program is just
as important. Quality pest control
professionals also want a “partner”
who will work with their company
to prevent and /or eliminate pests.
In many, but not all cases, the food
establishment has a contractor only
because he wants to tell his regula-
tory inspector that his company has
a pest control program or because
there is a notation on his last report
that there was evidence of activity
noted. We will call these Indicators
and they are an important part of an
IPM program. Some of the typical
indicators may be one or more of the
following:
• Visually seeing live or dead
cockroaches, fruit flies, rodents,
birds, flies, maggots, etc.
• Visually seeing feces, egg cas-
ings, greasy streaks along base-
boards, evidence of gnawing on
boxes or doors, half-eaten food
products, nests, footprints, etc.
• Smelling cockroaches (strong
oily odor) or dead pests.
• Hearing pests scratching, gnaw-
ing or scurrying in the facility.
Pests can contaminate your food
items by carrying foodborne patho-
gens such as Salmonella, Shigella,
etc. An ideal Integrated Pest Manage-
ment Program is focused on proac-
tive prevention and control rather
than a reactionary response to an
infestation problem. In some cases
a food establishment is a new con-
struction which is the ideal environ-
ment to start with but the majority
of operations are renovations and /
or using spaces & facilities that were
former food establishments. The
previous owner / operator may be
leaving you with more than just a fa-
cility and you may be inheriting an
existing pest problem. Both types of
facilities, old & new require differ-
ent approaches. A new facility, if it is
built correctly, will already have the
key assets of Exclusion & Sanitary
Design incorporated into the opera-
tion. What do we mean by exclusion?
What do we mean by sanitary design?
Some examples are:
• No spaces or gaps around doors
or windows
• No openings around utilities
coming into the building i.e.
plumbing, electrical, etc.
• Small mesh screening on doors &
windows
• No openings in tiles, cinder
blocks, etc.
• Air fans on delivery doors
• Solid pads for garbage dump-
sters
• Drains with secure drain covers.
Inspecting deliveries so that pests
are not brought in to your facilities
Loading docks and flooring that can
be cleaned and allow for drainage
Equipment that meets sanitary de-
sign requirements for ease of clean-
ing i.e. NSF, UL designations.
An older facility should be inspected
before any food production starts to
see how it meets the Exclusion & San-
itary Design criteria. This is the best
time to address any and all issues.
Confirm whether or not you already
have a pest problem and eradicate it
with a pest control contractor. The
Needs of Pests should be another
part of your IPM program. Pests, like
humans need 3 things, food, shelter
& water. The time between taking
over a facility and bringing in food
products to start production is when
you have an opportunity to eliminate
sources for shelter & water. You want
to insure that within your facility you
are always thinking like a pest. Re-
move opportunities for a pest to sat-
isfy their needs. Examples of remov-
ing opportunities for pests are:
Food• Placing open food product in
containers with tight-fitting lids
• Effective cleaning so there is no
food debris on the floor or under/
on equipment (think outside the
box- grease & drippings between
equipment, grease trays under
the burners on a range, build-up
on the cutting blade of can open-
What Exactly Is An Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM)?The misconceptions and misunderstanding of an essential Prerequisite Program (PRP).
// FOOD SAFETY WITH WYMAN PHILBROOK
Wyman PhilbrookOwner of Phi lbrook Food & Beverage Consult ing And Training
39 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
ers or buffalo choppers/slicers,
refrigerator door seals, etc.)
• Lids on garbage cans and empty
them frequently
• Clean garbage cans & dumpster
areas
• Clean food spills
• Remove corrugated cardboard
boxes (cockroaches can survive
by consuming the glue)
• Clean the food debris in drains-
screens & pipes
• Over ripe or partially rotting
foods- i.e. bananas, potatoes,
onions
• Clean kitchen floor mats
Water• No standing water
• Unclog stopped drains
• Invert wet food containers and
equipment
Shelter• Regularly lift or pull out equip-
ment
• Space between shelving and
walls
• No piles of boxes, wet clothes or
wet laundry bags
• Organize and clean shelves &
drawers regularly
• Close all openings in floors, walls
and ceilings
The above is a partial list. If you think
about these 3 needs in your opera-
tion you will find more opportunities
that you can address regarding the
unique features & characteristics of
your facility & operation. As a man-
ager you also need to be aware of the
environment around your building
or space. You can be removing all
of these needs but a neighbor or an
operation next door may not be and
this is where the exclusion becomes
important so that you are keeping the
pests out of your facility.
Education & Training is another key
component to an effective IPM pro-
gram. You as the manager of a retail
food establishment need to insure
that your staff is aware of all of the
subject matter we have covered so
far in this column. As a manager you
need as many eyes as possible to see
issues that arise in the facility. Open-
ings that can allow pests to enter, in-
adequate cleaning, leaking water or
signs of activity is the type of infor-
mation that you want brought to your
attention. Provide your staff with the
knowledge and understanding about
Exclusion, Sanitary Design, Needs of
Pests and Indicators and suddenly it
is not an overwhelming problem that
only you are dealing with.
A licensed Pest Control Operator
(PCO) is trained in identifying the
signs of activity, the species of pest
and the effective control of a poten-
tial issue and preventive measures.
The PCO rounds out the IPM program
and is that “partner” we referenced at
the beginning of this column. He can
be an advisor and another set of eyes
in your operation. A PCO cannot be
expected to address all of the parts
in your pest control program. When
interviewing a potential pest control
contractor, show him the proactive
actions you have put in place and ask
for a detailed plan that he will imple-
ment. An effective contractor will
have a planned schedule of service,
a detailed report requirement for
their technicians, a schematic of the
placement of traps / bait stations and
a periodic meeting with you or your
representative during business hours
to review the program. At a mini-
mum there should be a follow-up re-
port / call to you within 48 hours af-
ter a visit. Keep all reports on file and
review with your staff during regular
meetings and have a Pest Monitor-
ing log that your staff can use to note
any issues detected during business
hours that the technician can review
during their visit.
So, an Integrated Pest Management
Program has many parts that work
together to keep pests out of your fa-
cility and respond quickly at the first
sign of an issue.
In next month’s column we will look
at developing a good Allergen.
BOOTH #2555
40 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Chef Villa comes from a
family that is passionate
about food. Raised in
Nutley, New Jersey, Vil-
la’s Italian grandmother
was an artist in the kitchen at home;
while his parents dined at the finest
restaurants in New York City.
The combination provided Chef Villa
with a deep respect for food, and the
perspective on how it might impress
the most discerning of palettes, on
the biggest of stages. It was no sur-
prise when Villa enrolled at the Culi-
nary Institute of America at the age of
19. After graduation, he trained under
Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque and spent
three years at Tropica following.
Villa’s big break came when he was
hired at JUdson Grill. Within months
he trimmed the kitchen staff, cut
food costs in half, created a notewor-
thy menu, and earned himself a new
title as Executive Chef. His hard work
paid off, earning his first two-star rat-
ing from the New York Times. “This
would not work so well if the chef,
John Villa, did not understand what
people want to eat…this food is fla-
vored with authority and geared to
modern tastes,” explained New York
Times’ Ruth Reichl.
At just 24, Chef Villa had already
eclipsed his peers. It was now clear
that Chef Villa was much more than
just a young prodigy. He was well on
his way to becoming one of the most
distinguished chefs in New York City.
His remarkable skill, unparalleled
praise, and industry knowledge has
lifted Tao Restaurant to new heights.
Chef Villa is nothing less than a mas-
ter.
What or who inspired you to become a chef, where did you study?My grandparents inspired me to eat
and cook and enjoy food. My broth-
er is a chef, and our parents used to
take us out to eat out in Manhattan.
It was a combination of a lot of things
growing up that made me want to be
a chef.
Have any mentors? What have you learned from them?I don’t have mentors but I try to
learn something from everyone. I re-
spect all chefs – I know what they go
through but I pretty much do my own
thing.
What are a few of your favorite in-gredients to cook with?Niman Ranch products.
Executive Chef John Villa, TAO in New York, NYAt a young age, Executive Chef John Villa has already had a remarkable career. There is no
doubt that Tao Restaurant’s current success can be attributed to the lofty expectations that
Chef Villa helps make a reality.
// CHEFCETERA UP CLOSE WITH METRO NEW YORK'S CHEFS
Chef Villa comes from a family that is passionate about food. Raised in Nutley, New Jersey, Villa’s Italian grandmother was an artist in the kitchen at home; while his par-ents dined at the finest restaurants in New York City.
David Katz was the
person who inspired
me to be a chef, or
rather, that a chef was
just as noble a job as
any other.
continued on page 95
41 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
42 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
At the prestigious Le Cor-
don Bleu Seattle, where
he was named Educa-
tor of the Year last year,
aspiring chefs paid up to $17,000 to
learn how to make a silky béchamel
and a tall soufflé.
In his latest position, as executive
chef director of Eva’s Village in Pat-
erson, the Hawaiian native will be
teaching former heroin and cocaine
addicts and the homeless — some of
whom haven’t held a job in years, if
ever — basic knife and cooking tech-
niques in hopes that they’ll eventu-
ally earn a steady paycheck working
in a kitchen.
Dela Cruz, 52,recently relocated
with his family to New Jersey to head
up the new culinary school at Eva’s
Village, a huge, four-block-wide
non-profit social-service agency that
offers three shelters for the home-
less, a bustling soup kitchen and
drug treatment programs that serve
about 300.
“I’m geared more toward the stu-
dent than the plate,” said the soft-
spoken, self-effacing Dela Cruz, of
his pivot from the world of teaching
the primarily privileged to instruct-
ing the profoundly disadvantaged. “I
get excited teaching whether it’s the
fancy or the basics,” he said. “This is
going to give me a chance to stretch
my capabilities as an instructor. It
really comes down to your heart in
teaching.”
For Dela Cruz it’s also a great chal-
lenge: It’s his first time building an
accredited culinary school from the
ground up. “It’s the next step,” he
Seattle Chef Dela Cruz Set To Launch Inspirational New Jersey Culinary ProgramAs a culinary instructor for more than two decades, chef Darryl Dela Cruz proudly saw his
pupils go on to work at some of the nation’s most venerated restaurants, such as the French
Laundry in Napa Valley, Bouchon in Beverly Hills and Per Se in New York City.
// NEWS CULINARY
continued on page 96
43 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
44 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
EYE always enjoys the oppor-
tunity to visit with Bartenders
& Chefs and Sommeliers; the
educational highlight of this
year's show was the seminar series pre-
sented by The Tasting Panel Magazine.
With the leadership of world famous
Anthony Dias Blue and Publisher Me-
ridith May Sessions were focused on
a wide range of topics from Best busi-
ness practices, increasing your bot-
tom line, advertising and promotions
to new evolving technology. The show
boasts an outstanding seminar series
with topics ranging from “Boutique
Distilleries” to “Learning how to Make
More Profits While Working Less.” This
season the show is proud to welcome
The US Drinks Conference with its out-
standing lineup of speakers and topics:
www.usdrinksconference.com.
“Timing and location are every-
thing,” noted the Show’s General man-
ager Steven Wesler. “We’re dedicated to
providing a comprehensive experience
at the leading edge of the holiday buy-
ing season: from exhibition to educa-
tion, from tiny hand-craft to mass mar-
ket, from competitions to charitable
efforts.” “We’re providing fun along
with the serious side of the business,”
Wesler concludes. The 2013 show fea-
tured over 400 exhibits with the new-
est products, services, technologies
and ideas for exhibitors and delegates
alike to take their businesses to the
next level. This year marked the ninth
year of the show’s epic New York Cock-
tail Competition and the debut of a
number of brands, notably a new Mon-
golian Vodka: Soyombo. Competitors
created, demonstrated and sampled
their creations before a panel of dis-
tinguished judges in the hopes of win-
ning not only the coveted title, but also
cash prizes amounting to $3000. The
SIP Japan Pavilion featured over sixty
brands from Japan with tastings and
demonstrations along with education
to introduce sakes and shochus to the
show attendees. And this year craft was
king, with sampling from the Emerging
Brands Pavilion, MHW distributors’
craft and boutique brands Pavilion,
the Crafts Spirits Pavilion and Craft
Beer Pavilion. EYE visited with Jon and
Bonnie Edwards of Kiss Mix, John Celli
Custom Furniture & Design's Lana Zo-
2013 Holiday Buying ShowThe newly named 2013 Holiday Buying Show brought a fresh new look to the Javits Center last month. At the
event sponsored by Connecticut’s RDP Group, EYE spotted a number of professionals representing bars,
restaurants, hotels, and every category of on-premise establishments as well as off-premise retailers.
// EYE METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
Nina Barba and Lina Zolotushko of John Celli Custom Furniture and Design
Electro Freeze's Steve Machado and Anthony Lana
Smart Bar Product's CEO Adam Rozen and Isabella Sweeney Segal Law's Mitchell Segal
Modern Line Furniture's Jason Nguyen, Eleonora Tron, and Vlad Spivak
Con Edison's Chris Gallo offered attend-ees incentive and rebate programs continued on page 102
45 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
46 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
From the menu to the décor,
Henry’s will include elements
of a classic diner with a mod-
ern and gourmet twist. In ad-
dition to an American grilled cheese,
the menu offers a melted Brie and
cranberry on whole grain bread. Cooks
will be whipping up three egg omelets,
and those with gourmet palates will be
able to get a smoked salmon and herb
cream cheese crepe. And in keeping
with diner tradition, breakfast will be
served all day, while customers can
also order a hamburger at 9 a.m.
“If you are from New Jersey and you
come here this will be what you expect
it to be, but maybe a little bit better,’’
said Nicholas Emanuel, assistant di-
rector of Rutgers Dining Services. “The
big thing with us is we don’t want to be
ordinary. The finishing touches, even
down to the china, are high end. It’s
not your greasy spoon.’’
The diner will also unmistakably
shout “Rutgers” when the final work is
done – from its name in honor of Col.
Henry Rutgers who donated a $5,000
bond in 1826 to keep a then struggling
school alive – to the historic photos
and images of the university that will
adorn dividers between the booths.
The walls of the diner will also feature
a timeline of the colonel’s life and a
clock bearing an image of the univer-
sity’s namesake as well as the bell he
donated to the university that has be-
come a Rutgers icon when the artwork
is installed within the next few weeks.
“If someone blindfolded you and
brought you here, you will know you
are at Rutgers,’’ said Joseph Charette,
executive director of University Din-
ing Services. “The philosophy of the
whole design is a Rutgers diner owned
and operated by the university.’’
The menu is modeled after a college
newspaper with the lead headline:
Order Breakfast Any Time of Day. The
coffee is from another central New Jer-
sey landmark – it comes fresh roasted
from Princeton’s Small World Coffee.
The idea for the diner – located in
the retail complex of the Livingston
Apartments – was the result of a cam-
pus survey. ‘When students were asked
what they wanted at the university, a
diner was the top item,” Charette said.
Just what makes diners so beloved?
“You can get anything you want to eat
any time of the day,’’ Charette said.
“If you want waffles at dinner time
you can have that,’’ Emanuel added.
“Whatever you feel like having is avail-
able.’’
Diners are also as much a part of
New Jersey’s identity as Rutgers. “We
are the diner capital of the world,’’
said Peter Genovese, a feature writer
for The Star-Ledger and author of
Jersey Diners, published by Rutgers
Rutgers Brings True Jersey Diner Experience To StudentsA quintessential New Jersey dining experience has come to Rutgers. Henry’s – a
diner that will have a ruby red counter top, red booths and a red neon light visible
from the outside opened last month at the University's Livingston Campus.
// NEWS UNIVERSITIES
Chef Barry Squier at Henry's diner opening on the Livingston Campus
David Katz was the
person who inspired
me to be a chef, or
rather, that a chef was
just as noble a job as
any other.
continued on page 86
47 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
48 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
BCA Global to Host 20th Annual Cultural Awareness Salute In NYCScoop notes now in its 20th year, this
event honors the achievements of
people of color in the hospitality and
culinary industry. This year's theme
of "Global Immersion” will focus on a
deeper understanding of global diver-
sity in the food service, culinary and
hospitality industry. This event will
also provide a space for networking
and dialogue about the advancement
of diversity and give culinary students
from around the country the oppor-
tunity to hone their skills in a real life
environment. The BCA will also honor
innovators and leaders in the food-
service industry, honorees include:
Sterling Smith, Corporate Executive
Chef Supply Management- Sodexo,
Jin Caldwell, Chocolatier and Owner-
JinJu Chocolates, Jehangir Mehta, Ex-
ecutive Chef and Owner- Graffiti. The
BCA’s Cultural Awareness Salute and
Black Tie Gala will be held Friday No-
vember 8th, 2013, at the lovely Guasta-
vino’s.
The Gala will begin with a VIP and
cocktail reception, followed by a
multi-course dinner, Viennese recep-
tion and after party. The gala dinner
will give a taste of what the future
holds for the food service industry and
will be supported by our educational
partners and students from: Johnson
& Wales University, South Bronx Job
Corps Academy, Prince George Com-
munity College, Le Cordon Bleu Dal-
las, the Culinary Program at Brooklyn
Job Corps Academy, Monroe College,
Foodservice Training Academy, Ca-
reer Academy of NY and LI, Culinary
Training Institute, New York Institute
of Technology, the Academy of Voca-
tional Careers, and the Culinary Insti-
tute of America. "Students from differ-
ent schools and different backgrounds
come together in the same kitchen
and cook in a noncompetitive envi-
ronment," states Howard Stanford,
Board Chair and Alex Askew, Presi-
dent of BCA. "Those of us who attend
are honored to witness the promise of
future leaders and work together to-
wards a more diverse industry."
Taste of France Comes to Bryant ParkScoop notes that The Taste of France
returned to New York City on Sept. 28–
29 in Bryant Park, with cooking demos
from 30 renowned French chefs from
around the world as well as New York
City.
Participants included Maitres Cui-
siniers (a master chef designation)
such as Daniel Boulud, chef-owner of
Daniel; Frank Leclerc, from Maitres
Cuisiniers de France; Philippe Ber-
tineau, executive chef at Benoit; Lau-
rent Manrique from Cafe de la Presse;
Jean Louis Dumonet, executive chef
at Union Club; Christian Delourvier,
// SCOOP INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE
The Gala will begin
with a VIP and cocktail
reception, followed by
a multi-course dinner,
Viennese reception and
after party.
Chef Daniel Boulud led a star studded lineup at NYC's Taste of France
49 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
executive chef at La Mangeoire; and
Claude Godard, executive chef at
Madison Bistro. In addition to the chef
demos, there were tastings offered of
French regional dishes, as well as a
butter sculpture presented by Lactalis.
Minton’s Meets Tuscan Wines In Parsons’ New Harlem ClubScoop says that Dick Parsons may be
the world’s only person to own a Tus-
can vineyard and a restaurant and
jazz supper club in Harlem. “My pas-
sions are wine, food and music and it
all came together,” the ex-chairman of
Citigroup and former chairman and
chief executive of Time Warner.
The Cecil is scheduled to open this
month featuring chef/partner Alex-
ander Smalls’ Afro-Asian-American
brasserie. The idea, Parsons said, is
to integrate the culinary traditions of
the African Diaspora, topped off with
wines from the Tuscan vineyard. Par-
sons and Smalls also will open Min-
ton’s, a revival of the famed jazz club,
Mintons Playhouse, later this month.
The supper club, at 206 W. 118th St.
will have “Southern revival” – style
food with a country twist. Pastry chef
Jenny Lee, who most recently worked
in a similar role at Junoon in Chelsea,
also is joining the team. Parsons, who
grew up in Bedford Stuyvesant, has
been a strong supporter of Harlem for
decades and served as chairman of
the Upper Manhattan Empowerment
Zone in the mid-90s. “A lot of old mu-
sicians can’t get work anymore. They
are somewhat destitute but they can
still play they are looking for gigs. Not
handouts,” he said.
NYU’s Nestle Back With New BookScoop notes that when it comes to
diet, weight and food politics in the
United States, cartoons often make the
messages easier to swallow. Cartoons
and comics can convey “complicated
conceptual information at a glance
and, if they are good, make it funny,
pointed, sharp, ironic and sometimes
even sarcastic,” says Marion Nestle, a
longtime nutrition professor at New
York University and veteran consumer
advocate.
Nestle shares more than 250 car-
toons and comics in her new book,
Eat, Drink, Vote: An Illustrated Guide
to Food Politics, which was created
in collaboration with The Cartoonist
Group. For years, Nestle has hounded
the food industry about its market-
ing strategies, which she detailed in
her 2002 book, Food Politics. In 2006,
she outlined how to grocery-shop for
a healthful diet in What to Eat, and
in 2012 she discussed the latest sci-
ence on what causes people to be
overweight in Why Calories Count,
written with Malden Nesheim. Nestle
believes the nation’s obesity problem
is fostered by a food environment that
encourages people to eat more often,
in more places and in larger amounts
that is good for a healthy weight. Says
Nestle: “I want these cartoons to in-
spire readers to become active in food
politics, personally and politically. You
can buy food at farmers markets, go to
grocery stores that sell healthier foods,
support locally grown food and organ-
ic food, and support animal welfare.
Vote with your fork, she says: “Even
better, vote with your vote.”
Nestle shares more
than 250 cartoons
and comics in her new
book, Eat, Drink, Vote:
An Illustrated Guide to
Food Politics.
continued on next page
CONNECTICUT NEW YORK
NEW JERSEY
• 181 Marsh Hill Road• 91 Brainard Road• 566 Hamilton Avenue• 15-06 132nd Street• 1966 Broadhollow Road • 720 Stewart Avenue• 43-40 57th Avenue• 1335 Lakeland Avenue• 650 S. Columbus Avenue• 305 S. Regent St.• 777 Secaucus Road• 45 East Wesley Street• 140 South Avenue• 1135 Springfield Road
• Orange, CT 06477• Hartford, CT 06114• Brooklyn, NY 11232• College Point, NY 11356• Farmingdale, NY 11735• Garden City, NY 11530• Maspeth, NY 11378• Bohemia, NY 11716• Mt. Vernon, NY 10550• Port Chester, NY 10573 • Secaucus, NJ 07094• S. Hackensack, NJ 07606• S. Plainfield, NJ 07080• Union, NJ 07083
• 203-795-9900• 860-549-4000• 718-768-0555• 718-762-1000• 631-752-3900• 516-794-9200• 718-707-9330• 631-218-1818• 914-665-6868• 914-935-0220• 201-601-4755• 201-996-1991• 908-791-2740• 908-964-5544
Dick Parsons may be the world’s only person to own a Tuscan vineyard and a restaurant and jazz supper club in Harlem.
50 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
From Juicy ‘Meatballs’ To A Flatiron Tagine DreamScoop wants you to try some “Meat-
balls” trivia. One, name the actor who
got his start in a Canadian comedy by
this name; and two, how many restau-
rants does “Nicky Meatballs” have in
the planning stages for the Upper West
Side? The answer to the first question
is Bill Murray. The second? One. Chef
Nick Mormando of the UWS staple
on 71st Street off Columbus, Bello
Giardino, is opening a second place 12
blocks north at 483 Amsterdam Ave.,
the former home of Good Enough To
Eat. The new restaurant, which has yet
to be named, will be meatball themed,
in keeping with Nicky Meatballs repu-
tation as a champion meatball creator,
which he has culled after winning var-
ious cook-offs and food competitions.
An 86-Year-Old’s Makeover Is CompleteScoop notes that Don Fraser has a
long-playing record, something peo-
ple listened to before everything went
digital that was issued before Eddie
Layton became the organist at Yankee
Stadium and Madison Square Garden
in the 1960s. the album describes Lay-
ton as the “tireless star of the exquisite
Mermaid Room” in the Park Central
Hotel. Mr. Fraser is the hotel’s general
manager, and he has other keepsakes
that convey its history.
He knows it was home to the likes of
Jackie Gleason and Eleanor Roosevelt.
He knows too, that it was home to a
radio station, WPCH (named for Park
Central Hotel), but the station had a
problem reaching listeners. The neon
sign of the roof interfered with the
broadcast antenna. And he has old
menus from the hotel’s restaurant.
One from October 1960 lists “main
lobster cocktail: for $1.75 and a room
service charge of 35 cents a person. All
of this came up because the hotel, on
Seventh Avenue at 55th Street, has un-
dergone a top-to-bottom renovation
that he said was sensitive to the hotels
long life.
“We’ve been keeping to the historical
footprint, with a spin, which is excit-
ing,” Mr. Fraser said. The hotel’s new
look is the work of Jeffrey Beers Inter-
national, an architecture and design
firm. The renovation put the front desk
front and center, which was possible
because the lobby was shortened. A
new restaurant occupies a two-level
space that had been broken up years
ago, so the restaurant has a high ceil-
ing with a mezzanine. That is reminis-
cent of the Mermaid Room, a onetime
fixture at the Park Central that operat-
ed as a restaurant until about 9:30pm
and as a nightclub until closing time.
The renovation did not bring back
the Mermaid Room’s most noticeable
feature, the mermaids on the ceiling.
In the 1950s they, or more precisely,
their nakedness, prompted a com-
plaint from Mrs. Roosevelt, who lived
at the hotel from 1950 to 1953 and
again in 1958. The hotel’s response to
her grievance was a cover-up. It gave
the mermaids brassieres made from
fishing nets. The hotel has a new “grab
and go” café serving sandwiches and
coffee and meeting rooms with newly
exposed windows.
Pepsi Wins Battle In Cola Wars: $21 Million CUNY DealScoop sees that the City University of
New York, no stranger to campus skir-
mishes has now taken a stance in the
cola wars: “no Coke, Pepsi.” Amid a
campaign to persuade university ad-
ministrators to ban Coca-Cola prod-
ucts, CUNY has given Coke’s main rival,
Pepsi- Cola, the exclusive right to dis-
tribute nonalcoholic beverages on all 24
of its campuses.
“The contract, CUNY’s first system wide
deal with a beverage company, calls for
Pepsi to pay about $21 million over 10
years,” said Michael Arena, a spokes-
man for the university. “Almost all of
that money will be shared with each of
the schools, based on consumption on
its campus,” added Arena.
But about $300,000 will go toward ath-
letic events, and an additional $200,000
toward sustainability initiatives, he
added. Coca-Cola’s presence on col-
lege campuses, including some of the
CUNY schools, has been a contentious
issue for several years. In 2005, New York
University banned Coke products from
its campus for four years after students
protested because of reports of the
company’s complicity in the murder of
union leaders in Columbia.
Citing that episode and complaints of
discrimination by people who worked
for the company in New York City, an
anti-coke campaign based in Brook-
lyn, the Campaign to Stop Killer Coke,
pressed CUNY officials to take simi-
lar action. A few campuses, including
CUNY’s law school in Queens, banned
And he has old menus from
the hotel’s restaurant. One
from October 1960 lists
“main lobster cocktail: for
$1.75 and a room service
charge of 35 cents a person.
51 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Coke. The student senate at Brooklyn
College passed a resolution to ban Coke
there, said David J. Rosenberg, the presi-
dent of the student government on that
campus. “The real drive behind that
resolution was that we don’t do business
with corporations that have issues with
human rights and workers,” Mr. Rosen-
berg said. Coke was paying Brooklyn
College $60,000 a year through three
years of a five-year contract, he said, but
that deal was superseded with the new
Pepsi contract.
Trio Of Hotels Set For ManhattanScoop hears that three new hotels will
soon add about 650 high-end rooms to
West 57th Street. And all are expected
to pump new pedestrian life into the
block, thanks to glamorous new restau-
rants, at least two of them at sidewalk
level. The 208-room Quinn, on the for-
mer Buckingham site at the Sixth Av-
enue northwest corner, is set to open
this month. The 240-room Viceroy at
120 W. 57th St. is a few days off. And the
super-luxury 210-room Park Hyatt in
Extell’s One57 condo tower is to open
in 2014. The long block is home to such
landmarks as Carnegie Hall, the Rus-
sian Tea Room and Steinway Hall and
to three other hotels, the Parker Meri-
dien, Hilton Club and Salisbury. But
it’s been a construction eyesore for
years. The sidewalks can be quiet after
dark, thanks to the mess and to stores
that close up early. Now, the Quin is
about to launch a ground-floor corner
restaurant called The Wayfare helmed
by Esquared’s Jimmy Haber and pow-
erhouse father-and-son Michael and
Alan Stillman. At the Viceroy, mean-
while, Gerber Group and Landmarc
chef Marc Murphy will open Kingside
in late October.
Amid a campaign to
persuade university
administrators to ban
Coca-Cola products, CUNY
has given Coke’s main
rival, Pepsi- Cola, the
exclusive right to distribute
nonalcoholic beverages on
all 24 of its campuses.
The super-luxury 210-room Park Hyatt in Extell’s One57 condo tower is to open in 2014.
52 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
53 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
54 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
How did your business get started?That’s an interesting
question. I’m a twin and
my mom and my sister, my twin,
would always drag me around to
shopping malls on an ongoing basis.
At the time, I hated it. I hated being
dragged around. I just didn't like it at
all. But I got a better understanding
about what makes a captivating ex-
perience for a consumer. That kind of
seeped into me at a very early age. I've
always been attracted to how a store
or a restaurant can deliver a better ex-
perience. Now, here’s the second part.
My mom was a school teacher and she
could cut out letters from craft paper.
And, what that meant was that all the
reports her children did would have
this dazzling cover. That cover told
me that impressions matter. And so by
knowing that impressions matter, and
being dragged around to customer
touch points, to delivering what a re-
tailer does, that all got me on the path
of saying that there is something spe-
cial about being a consumer.
So where did you go from there?I began to realize that if you want to
make cataclysmic changes – look at
Sears and K-Mart – you have to be
tethered to the enduring culture. The
cultural aspect wasn’t there, the cul-
ture that said, ‘We have to exude this.’
I believe you need to have the soul
of a merchant. They didn’t. It was all
about a financial plan. Any time you
make it about trying to make money,
you don't make meaning. And that is
a receipt for failure. That's crucial to
what you're ging to bring to the floor.
And everything revolves around mar-
keting.
What’s your definition of marketing?Marketing I define as anything that
communicates something about, well,
anything! And that goes to all custom-
er touch points. And branding is the
biggest part of that. Branding, to me,
is what it is that you stand for. What is
your point of difference? What makes
you better? A brand is the final desti-
nation, the final resting place of a suc-
cessful sales and marketing program.
Because what a brand does is ‘decom-
modotize’ your product.
What do you mean by that?That's the beauty of it. We all have our
own different twists on it, but it’s all
about the same thing. It is carving out
your own special place that explains
why a brand, why a business, deserves
to exist.
So what brought you to Whole Foods?After spending 8, 9 years at Starbucks
I was wanting to try something new,
wanting to see if I actually knew some
of the things I was talking about. Let's
say, well, I can't say tired, but I had ba-
sically learned a lot of the things that I
could possibly learn, being a marketer
there. And it was time to move on.
Tell us about your experience at Star-bucks.I was in middle management there. I
was a retail marketer for many, many
years. I was back in college in Dallas;
I needed a part time job, so I became
a barista. Basically, they were coming
to Dallas and I needed a part-time job
and I had heard about this company,
Starbucks, and that was the absolute
best experience I could have ever had.
It gave me the perspective of being
behind the counter, knowing and car-
ing, and understanding the brand at
the fundamental level of delivering a
great cup of coffee to deliver a great
experience to a consumer. But they
found they couldn't control all of their
activities out of headquarters, so they
started hiring folks in the field. So I got
hired on by the owner’s own marketing
director to be a marketing specialist.
It was trial by fire because my territo-
ries were Texas, Georgia, Florida, and
DC to North Carolina. And I was re-
sponsible for writing marketing plans
to open up new stores. And so I was
busy as heck. Loved it though and me
being a 25-year-old young energetic
person. Loved it.
What happened next?My boss got hired on at corporate
to basically lead marketing at Star-
buck's. And she needed people there
that she could trust. So she brought
me up there. And for a period of time,
I was their field marketing integra-
tion manager, which basically meant
I was the communication and plan-
ning liaison between corporate and all
the field teams. And then back up the
chain, field teams up to corporate. The
beauty of that was, I got to touch every
single program that was going on in
the states, as well as Canada because
I was personally responsible for being
in the know. So that was great. That
company had a great culture. And I
believe the pulse of that company, any
company which has a strong culture,
becomes a cult. Leaving that cult was
difficult, but Whole Foods approached
me, brought me back to Texas, and it
2013 Tri-State Food Expo Keynote Speaker John Moore AnnouncedBranding Expert and Marketing Mastermind From Starbucks and Whole Foods
// EVENTS
Branding Expert and Marketing Mastermind, John Moore is set to be the Keynote Speaker at the Tri-State Food Expo
METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
55 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
worked, because as a teenager, I ex-
perienced shopping there and loved
what they did. They were building
their whole corporate staff – I say ‘cor-
porate,’ but nothing they did was cor-
porate!
When you say anything but corpo-rate, how do you define that?Starbucks was a top-down company.
Meaning, they wanted to control their
customer experience. So that the per-
son having a Starbucks latte in San
Diego would have the exact same latte
– the same look and feel as someone
in Seattle, Dallas, Miami, or in DC. So,
they controlled the store activities.
Whole Foods is the exact opposite.
They give tremendous autonomy to
the region, as well as to the stores. And
so theirs is so much more bottom up.
So, they are based upon libertarian
practices – maximum freedom, mini-
mum government. So my job at Whole
Foods was to take some of the activi-
ties happening within the region, and
scale them up to go national.
How did your experience at Star-bucks shape your experience at Whole Foods?What Howard Schultz used to say a lot
is something that was ingrained in my
mind while I was there at Starbuck's.
He talked about how the company's
biggest challenge was to get big, but
stay small. And I think that's the chal-
lenge for any big company. And that’s
what I try to remember and I’ll be talk-
ing about at my speech in New Jersey
the bigness of smallness. I share eight
rules on how a small business can look
bigger. And conversely, those same
rules talk or those same rules help to
guide a big business on how to get
smaller. It’s all based upon something
that I call a growth paradox, which
simply states that the smaller you are,
the bigger you must look. But the big-
ger you are, the smaller you must get.
You're running a small diner, a small restaurant. What do you do? What are the steps? Don’t follow branding strategies.
Which sounds counter-intuitive com-
ing from a marketer. But I say, don't
worry about being a great brand. Wor-
ry about being a great business. What
the difference is, if you intend to be
a great brand, you're going to forget
about being a viable business. Because
you're going to start thinking about
everything on the outside. I want peo-
ple to go inside out, to create a great
business. To go inside out, meaning,
build your business as a profitable
business. Build your business so that
you're going to treat your employees
unbelievably well. Build your business
so you're going to deliver customer ex-
periences that are ungodly great. And
basically it boils down to, if you can
build a business that makes a profit,
which makes your employees happy
and makes your customers happy, you
don't have to worry about branding.
Branding is a by-product to go with
those three things. This sounds almost
too easy. But it’s getting personal with
your employees. And it’s setting it up
so that you can treat your employees
so well, they don't leave you. It goes
beyond pay but finding ways to pro-
vide them better benefits. If you're
dealing with low-wage employees,
probably some of them will have a
hard time getting to and from work.
Potentially, you might be able to give
them a perk, as far as find them a way
to have a car service. Or, to make sure
they can get a ride to work and a ride
home. It’s treating your employees
like they're family, as opposed to treat-
ing your employees like they're pawns
in the game. Because if you're going to
jazz your employees, they're going to
jazz your customers. It all starts with
the culture.
What would you say to the fast food companies whose employees were picketing a couple weeks ago for $15 an hour?Keep people happy now rather than
having to be forced to do it. Let them
actually participate in building the
culture.
What is this ‘brand autopsy’?I try to dissect all things marketing-
related. This all began about 2000 or
so, when all the dot coms were dying.
A buddy, back at Starbucks, and me
we're wondering, why are all of these
businesses dying? We should do a
brand autopsy. Then, when I was at
Whole Foods, I started a blog under
the name ‘Brand Autopsy,' because
the blog was dissecting all things mar-
keting-related. People started to un-
derstand me. And say, oh he's the guy
from Brand Autopsy.
Suggest one thing that would help a restaurant move forward.If it’s a business that got started over 20
years ago, talk to the oldest employee
or talk to the founder. Ask that person,
why did you begin the business? What
was it? What had you so passionate? I
think too many businesses lose sight
of why their business began. But the
beautiful thing is if you're just starting,
you have an easier time knowing what
the story is, because it's coming from
you. Ask yourself this: “If you didn't
exist tomorrow, who would care?”
Don’t follow branding
strategies. Which
sounds counter-
intuitive coming from
a marketer. But I say,
don't worry about
being a great brand.
Worry about being a
great business.
56 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
57 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
58 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Kudos to MAFSI for find-
ing a true gem in Rock
Springs Golf to host their
annual MAFSI Golf and
Awards Dinner.
MAFSI's Metro New York Chapter
honored Manhattan's Roger and Sons
as its dealer of the year. Gary Jacobs
and Bob Doland of Jacobs Doland Beer
were honored with the reps' industry
Person(s) of the Year. MAFSI'S Lifetime
Achievement Award was presented
to the legendary Joe Lehr of Glissen
Chemical.
"The golf and the dinner were a BIG
success," noted the tournament's co-
chair Frank Doyle of TD Marketing. "It
was a great opportunity for reps and
factories to have a great day of golf and
to recognize some of the industry's tru-
ly special professionals.
The event marked the culmination
of hard work by Doyle and his tourna-
ment committee for their considerable
time invested to research venues, dates
and facility coordination. Doyle's golf
committee was co-chaired by Jon Bow-
erman of Performance and Pecinka
MAFSI Golf and Awards DinnerMetro New York's equipment and supply representative community who compete on a daily basis took a break from their daily battles on the street to honor a trio of industry leaders.
// EYE METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
(L to R) IHMRS show chief Phil Robin-son, Ed Yuter of Tri-State Marketing and Culinary Depot's Michael Lichter
(L to R) Roger and Son's Carl and Anthony Saitta and Joe Cirone won top dealer of the year honors
(L to R) Industry Professionals of the year Gary Jacobs (2nd-L) and Robert Doland (2nd-R)display their awards with MAFSI's Rob McKeown (L) and Ed Pecinka (R)
(L to R) Restaurant Depot's Larry Co-hen with Mr and Mrs Jerry Cohen all came to fete Glissen's Joe Lehr
(L to R) RPI Industry's PJ Gavin congra-gulated Marty Friedman of M. Tucker on his upcoming retirement
(L to R) Glissen's Joe Lehr (3rd-L) was humbled with Mafsi's Lifetime acheivement award. He shared it with his wife Bobbi (2nd-R) and Tom Vajcovec of GMV Marketing (L), KC Mar-keting's Casey Courneen and Rob McKeown of Lehr McKeown
(L to R) Sam Tell and Son's Peter Caro and Larry Cantamessa of PBAC were among a bevy of gifted golfers
continued on page 77
59 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
60 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
The objective is to assemble
10,000 One Project hygiene
kits over three days with the
assistance of IHMRS visitors.
Clean the World collects, recycles
and distributes soap and shampoo
products discarded by the hospitality
industry. Most hotels discard slightly
used soap and bottled amenities,
which often end up in already over-
crowded landfills. By shipping dis-
carded amenities to Clean the World,
hotels reduce waste management
costs and help save lives while be-
ing environmentally responsible. The
soap products are then put through a
strict sanitation process at Clean the
World’s Soap Recycling Plant before
being redistributed.
“Hygiene-related illnesses such as
pneumonia and diarrheal disease
kill about 9,000 children a day,” said
Shawn Seipler, founder and executive
director of Clean the World. “We can
reduce those deaths by up to 65% if
we give them soap and proper educa-
tion on how and when to use the soap.
Clean the World works with around
2,000 hotels across North America to
collect and recycle discarded soap and
bottled amenities. We then send soap
to children and families all over the
world.”
Through the One Project, Clean
the World, in partnership with Sysco
Guest Supply, will coordinate and fa-
cilitate the delivery of assembled kits
to designated local New York area
charities after IHMRS. The hygiene
kits contain 9 life-saving items in-
cluding soap, shampoo, conditioner,
toothbrush, toothpaste, disposable
razor, washcloth, and lotion.
IHMRS will create a One Project Kit
assembly center on the Show’s exhibit
floor and invite all visitors to assist in
the production effort. "We are delight-
continued on page 62
IHMRS Teams With ‘Clean The World’ For CharityThe International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show® (IHMRS) has announced a partnership
with Clean the World to produce a One Project building event during the 98th IHMRS,
November 10-12, 2013 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.
// NEWS PARTNERSHIPS
61 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
62 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
ed to have Clean the World at this year's
IHMRS, and know that the opportunity
to participate directly in One Project
will resonate with our audience,” said
Phil Robinson, IHMRS Show Director.
The 98th annual International Hotel,
Motel + Restaurant Show will run Sat-
urday, November 9, through Tuesday,
November 12, 2013, at New York City’s
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Fol-
lowing a full day of conference and
networking activities on Saturday, No-
vember 9, the IHMRS will feature three
full days of exhibits from Sunday, No-
vember 10, through Tuesday, Novem-
ber 12. The market will present nearly
700 exhibitors and attract nearly 18,000
industry professionals. It is co-located
with the 4th annual Boutique Design
New York (BDNY), which will run Sun-
day, November 10 through Monday,
November 11, presenting 400 interior
product manufacturers and attracting
more than 5,000 hospitality designers,
architects and purchasing executives.
BDNY will feature two full days of ex-
pert panel presentations and interac-
tive workshops. IHMRS is sponsored
by the American Hotel & Lodging As-
sociation (AH&LA), the Hotel Associa-
tion of New York City, Inc. (HANYC),
and the New York State Hospitality &
Tourism Association (NYSH&TA), and
is managed by Hospitality Media
Group (HMG). Additional information
is available online, at www.ihmrs.com.
Clean the World Foundation Inc. is
a social enterprise with the mission
of saving millions of lives around the
globe. Since 2009, Clean the World has
distributed more than 14 million bars
of soap in nearly 70 countries. Through
the "ONE Project," Clean the World
provides hygiene kits to the homeless
and families in transition throughout
North America.
IHMRS, from page 60
63 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
64 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
He called his new business
Air Stream Foods, and he
began supplying the ac-
tual meat and potatoes
served on planes.
At the same time the company also
developed a smaller business selling
to restaurants, and that’s where his
son, Bob Fitzsimmons, CEO, and New-
York-based Food Authority, come in.
Originally founded in 1977, Food
Authority today provides customers
with more than 5,000 products rang-
ing from fresh produce to dairy to
multi-unit paper goods. Now in its
second generation, the family-owned
business provides sustainable prod-
ucts and locally sourced fruits and
vegetables to some of the nation’s top
restaurant chains, businesses and in-
stitutions.
Food Authority works with envi-
ronmentally friendly farmers in New
York and New Jersey who provide food
to small, independent eateries up to
large restaurant chains.
Proud of its reputation as a family-
owned business for the past 35 years,
Food Authority has 85 trucks on the
road every day and 300 employees.
And what sets it apart, company exec-
utives believe, is the relationships that
make their business flourish.
“We've grown this company from
the inside out,” says Fitzsimmons,
who explains that Food Authority does
not use sales reps, all business is done
through referrals. “Good old fashioned
blood, sweat, and tears. And it has paid
dividends. And because of that, we go
to bed at night knowing our business
is our business, not sales reps running
the ship.”
Fitzsimmons says the company is
built on relationships. “When cus-
tomers call here, they're talking to
me. They're absolutely speaking to
the owners, or they're speaking to the
same guys that they've been speak-
ing to for the last 15, 20, or 25 years.
I mean, that's the way we run this
place.”
The company also has a program,
called Local Priority, where Food Au-
thority employees go out and promote
locally grown produce, in a 100-mile
radius from its headquarters on Long
Island.
“We say to a farmer, look, if you
plant X amount of acres for me of X
amount of product, when that prod-
uct is harvested, Food Authority will
in fact buy it and we'll distribute that
Queens Based Food Authority Brings Fresh Solutions To East Coast Food Service OperatorsIt’s probably been a while since you’ve been served a hot (or cold) meal on an airplane. But before
meal service came down from the clouds, an enterprising young in-flight executive, Bob
Fitzsimmons, decided to take what he knew and apply it to foodservice on the ground.
// NEWS FOODSERVICE
Food Authority Chief Bob Fitzsimmons' vision has enabled the firm to carve out a unique niché.
We are always looking
for strategies that
enable us to be more
efficient and at the
same time make us a
better neighbor.
65 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
product to our restaurants, which we
make sure that product is planted for
them, harvested for them, and deliv-
ered to them under the farmer’s name.
And we'll make sure that farmer is re-
sponsible for growing it and packing it
for you and that product is exclusively
yours. “
Fitzsimmons swears that the food
produced by these farmers is differ-
ent. “One thousand percent of the
people who buy the tomatoes grown
in Long Island have a very unique and
distinctive taste. I believe it has a lot
to do just purely with the fact that it's
freshly grown. I mean, you're picking
it and you're eating it. It's like when
you grow something in your backyard.
How can that not taste superior?”
Growing food locally for distribu-
tion is very much the way the food-
service business is going, according
to Fitzsimmons. “People just want the
freshest ingredients now, where it only
used to happen in certain restaurants.
In kids' summer camps, salad bars
everywhere. Studies have shown that
more than 7 out of 10 consumers said
they would be more likely to visit a res-
taurant that offers menu items grown
close to home. They want the good
stuff.”
Customers are more knowledgeable
today. “They're just savvy on all levels
now and eating healthy is top of the
list,” he says.
What lies ahead? “We've worked
hard to become a trusted, valued sup-
plier with customers such as Chipotle
Mexican Grill or Pret a Manger or Le
Pain Quotidien, customers with brand
recognition. These are trusted part-
ners of ours,” says Fitzsimmons. “It
speaks volumes for us as distributors.”
BOOTH #823
66 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
67 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
The announcement was
made by Montague Vice
President of Sales and Mar-
keting, Gary Rupp.
With over 60 years of combined in-
dustry experience, Dolan and Poulos
bring a wealth of knowledge to this
new venture. Both men have extensive
experience in the design and instal-
lation of kitchens that provide chefs
with equipment that’s efficient, reli-
able and performs to their demanding
expectations.
Bill Dolan has overseen projects
ranging from historic White House
and Greenbrier Resort installations to
cutting edge kitchens for some of the
country’s top chefs. An experienced
trainer, Dolan initiated and built the
industry’s premier test and training
kitchen, and spearheaded the use of
interactive product cutaways to facili-
tate product comparison and show-
case brand benefits.
Michael Poulos brings with him a
diverse background in the front- and
back-of-the-house operations, and
has worked with Michelin-starred
chefs across America. He is proficient
in cooking execution and processes
that are crucial to solving chefs’ exact-
ing needs and requirements of kitchen
space.
“We are confident that Bill and Mi-
chael will add a great dimension to the
Montague team” stated Gary Rupp.
“They will help us increase our pres-
ence in the DC and Metro New York
areas and help drive sales to a diverse
group of chefs and operators.”
The Montague Company is a lead-
ing producer of high-quality, heavy-
duty cooking equipment in the
foodservice industry. For more infor-
mation, please contact The Montague
Company at 800-345-1830 or www.
montaguecompany.com.
Montague Announces New Representation in Metro NYCThe Montague Company, a leading producer of world-class cooking equipment has appointed William Dolan and Michael
Poulos of monobloc as the company’s new manufacturer representatives covering New York, Northern New Jersey, Western
Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, Southeast West Virginia, and Delaware (Sussex County).
// NEWS REPRESENTATION
“We are confident
that Bill and
Michael will add a
great dimension to
the Montague team."
68 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
69 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
is warm, bright and open. Deceptively
large and inviting. No restaurant de-
signers were called upon. Thank God
my best friend is a carpenter.
How did you meet and attract Chef Paul DiMaria? What does he bring to the table for Walrus + Carpenter?We met through a friend of a friend.
He was attracted by the concept, loca-
tion, and my charming personality (his
words). Paul is extremely passionate
about food. He came with an impres-
sive background and an excitement to
bring something new to the table.
What‘s your line-up for equipment in the BOH? And tell us about your cus-tom-built Smoker?Pretty basic. A lot of equipment ac-
quired from the previous restaurant
at this location. We added a holding
cabinet, electric smoker, and a much
needed Robot Coupe. As for the smok-
er, our boiler maintenance man, Mike
Savage (a Bridgeport resident), offered
to fabricate a smoker from a 500 gal-
lon propane tank to our pit master Ben
McCrea’s specifications. She’s a thing
of beauty. A reverse flow system accen-
tuated with two exhaust pipes and an
old wood-burning stove.
Offer any private dining events, brunch and special events? We offer brunch Friday through Sun-
day. Brunch should not be one day a
week. We are currently renovating a
private dining area the main purpose
of which will be to host beer, wine, and
spirit dinners. The first will be a hard ci-
der dinner the end of September.
Are you using any locally sourced CT or NY produce farms or meat purvey-ors?We are constantly growing our rela-
tionships with local farmers. Chef Paul
is very passionate about the food being
seasonal and local.
Do you have an in-house Pastry Chef for dessert offerings?Our in-house Pastry Chef is Maggie
Lyon whom Chef Paul had recom-
mended we bring on as Sous Chef be-
fore we opened the doors of W+C. Her
desserts are one of the biggest hits at
the restaurant and she’s constantly
evolving the offerings. Most recently
people are going nuts over her deep
fried blueberry pie.
Your wine menu is somewhat limited, but your craft beer and bourbon list is quite extensive. What was the thinking behind your wine, beer and spirits of-ferings? I’m a strong believer of when in Rome…
That is to say that when I go to an Ital-
ian restaurant, I opt for an Italian wine.
If I’m in Germany, I drink German beer.
W+C is a uniquely American concept.
Slow smoked meats and southern in-
spired cuisine. Hence, an all-American
beverage program. It’s fun to break
people out of the norm of drinking
Grey Goose and Jameson. There is so
much that this country has to offer
in the way of spirits and beer. Not to
mention wine, which we have begun
to expand our offerings. A nice Pinot
Gris from Four Graces in Oregon is a
wonderful change of pace from Italian
Pinot Grigio.
Do you see another Walrus + Carpen-ter location in the future?I do not see another Walrus + Carpen-
ter in the future. That is not to say I
don’t see other restaurants from this
great team we have put together, but
there should only ever be one W+C.
That is part of what makes this experi-
ence special.
Chefcetera, from page 25
70 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
71 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
72 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
T he hot toddy dates back
to the Colonial period
when beleaguered sol-
diers would add a por-
tion of hot liquid to their
daily ration of alcoholic refreshment.
In my research I found that the hot
toddy might have been first used in
India that makes sense because heat
is part of the Vedic method of healing
through the application of warm liq-
uids taken internally. The application
of alcohol would not have been too far
off because the liquor we know today
as rum, distilled from sugar cane was
first discovered in India! With Vedic
methods of healing the application of
rum to the heating method of using
hot liquids for healing, would not be
too far of a stretch!
Hot toddy drinks for healing made
their way around the globe anywhere
that sailors plied the seas. Even in
warm climates, time spent below
decks on a sailing vessel was a clam-
my, damp and bone-chilling world
without much light or fresh air. A
hand-held relaxant known as the hot
toddy would go a long way towards
deeply warming the imbiber’s deep-
est chill. If the afflicted individual was
suffering from a fever the application
of intoxicants along with a dose of hot
tea and a slug of dark molasses based
sweetener heals by warming the in-
sides in more ways than one.
Back in the 80’s and 90’s I spent much
time on a yacht moored down in the
British Virgin Islands that belonged to
my family. She was a sleek vessel and
even when standing still she still ex-
uded speed and comfort while far out
at sea. Sailing her from New England,
across the Bermudian straits, down to
the Bahamas and then finally out to
the British Virgin Islands was never a
pleasurable trip. Honey and ginger
syrup would be administered along
with a slug or two of dark rum in a
mug filled with strong British tea for
warming. The honey was for sweeten-
ing, the ginger for settling the stomach
and the rum; well you know what rum
is for! That lovely buzz that just says
BZZZZZZZZ.
Two lovely hot toddy cocktails for
maximum warming.
As I said above, a sailor must have a
couple things on board his yacht at
all times. Good rum or whisky, strong
tea, ginger syrup, boiling water… All
are important to healing what ails ye!
I love naming my hot toddy cock-
tails after sea-faring folks. The first,
made with bourbon whiskey is simply
named the Kentuckian Sailor. Anyone
who knows geography would know
that Kentucky is landlocked in this
pun on the word sailor, this toddy is
more than strong enough to take a
landlubber and give him sea legs.
The Kentuckian Sailor ToddyIngredients
• 2 oz. Four Roses Yellow Label
Bourbon Whiskey
• .50 oz. fresh lime juice (must
be freshly squeezed)
• .25 oz. fresh lemon juice (also
must be freshly squeezed)
• 4 oz. hot English Breakfast Tea
• .25 ginger syrup
• .25 molasses (for sweetening)
• Freshly scraped nutmeg
Preparation1. Prepare your tea and add it to a
preheated mug
2. Add the Bourbon, the fruit juices
and the sweeteners with the gin-
ger syrup
3. Stir to combine and scrape some
fresh nutmeg over the top
4. Sip to comfort knowing that you
will soon be warm. Inside and
out!
The second hot toddy is based on a
drink that I once enjoyed in Austria as
a boy traveling with my family. Once
you get out of the cities, good heat is
hard to come by. Not that the country
is backward, it’s just that most homes
are heated by wood and the hotels
are usually heated by systems that
date back to the Middle Ages or so it
seemed at the time. When drinks were
enjoyed they contained large amounts
of schnapps and also eau de vie. Both
say warming through “fire water” and
when combined with the fantastically
thick, local hot chocolate, you’d be
warmed through and through faster
than it takes a Billy Goat to chase you
away from his flock. And that’s really
fast!
Austrian Hot Chocolate ToddyIngredients
• 6 oz. Steaming Hot Chocolate
(The thicker the better!)
• 4 oz. dark rum like Stroh from
Austria (I know, rum from
Austria? It’s good!)
• 2oz.pür•likörSpice
Combine all the ingredients in two
pre-heated mugs and sip to warmth!
// MIXOLOGY WITH WARREN BOBROW
Metro New York Mixology If there were one drink that stands out over most
when the weather starts getting cooler it would have
to be the hot toddy.
Warren Bobrow
Warren Bobrow is the cocktail writer for
Williams-Sonoma, Foodista, Voda Maga-
zine and the 501c3 not for profit Wild River
Review/Wild Table, where he also serves as
an editor. www.cocktailwhisperer.com
73 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
74 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
• Doorways
• Parking lots
• Common areas
• Maintain Mats and Runners
When it comes to mats and runners, at-
tention to detail can reduce accidents.
Select the appropriate mat based on
location and performance needs.
For example, a kitchen may require
a different mat than an entranceway.
Limit the difference in height be-
tween floor surfaces and mats
to no more than ¼ to ½ an inch.
Inspect mats and run-
ners so they are not curled.
Inspect regularly for deteriora-
tion or build-up of contaminants.
Pay attention to footwear A simple yet commonly overlooked
aspect of your prevention program is
requiring the use of proper footwear.
Either provide or hold your employees
accountable for wearing slip-resistant
footwear. Features of footwear that
should be taken into account include:
• Tread design
• Harness and shape of sole and
heel
• Abrasion, oil, chemical and heat
resistance
• Footwear that becomes damaged
or worn out should be replaced
immediately.
Learning To "Walk" Again Walking is an activity that most of us
do not put any thought into, however
adjusting how you walk in certain sit-
uations and being cognizant of your
surroundings can prevent injuries.
Some useful tips include:
• Avoid "distracted walking", in-
cluding walking while texting or
emailing.
• Turn sideways and take short
steps when walking on slopes.
• Shorten your stride when hazards
are present or when walking on
slippery surfaces.
• Point your toes slightly to the
sides I.E. "the penguin walk".
• If possible, keep your hands free
for better balance.
• Turn slightly towards the wall
on stairs and use the handrail.
Detailed incident reporting If an accident does occur in spite of
your best efforts, an immediate re-
sponse is necessary. Document exact-
ly what occurred, including who was
involved and where, why and how it
happened. Learning the details of an
incident is useful for detecting trends
and it can be used to put measures
into place to prevent recurrences. Ad-
ditionally, taking a detailed account of
the accident will reduce the likelihood
of fraud, which can save you and your
business additional dollars and head-
aches.
Slips, trips and falls are a serious issue
that can cause substantial financial
damage to your company. Effective
inspection, maintenance and house-
keeping policies and procedures are
critical elements of prevention. Em-
bedding safety training and education
efforts into your culture, setting a pos-
itive example and holding employees
accountable can make a significant
impact.
Speak with your advisor about how
to engage a Risk Services expert in
assessing your risk and helping you
implement best practices.
Robert Fiorito, serves as Vice President,
Hub International Northeast, where
he specializes in providing insurance
brokerage services to the restaurant in-
dustry. As a 20-year veteran and former
restaurateur himself, Bob has worked
with a wide array of restaurant and
food service businesses, ranging from
fast-food chains to upscale, “white
tablecloth" dining establishments. For
more information, please visit www.
hubfiorito.com.
Fiorito, from page 34
75 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
76 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Polo Steakhouse will offer
signature dishes, such as a
signature 28-day, dry-aged
prime grade Bone In Filet
Mignon, Porterhouse for two, Bone
In Rib Eye, Kansas City strip steak as
well as center-cut Filet Mignon, Steak
Au Poivre, Colorado lamb chops and
smoked long bone Berkshire pork
chop. Specialty dishes will include
grilled Swordfish, Scottish salmon and
classic Steak Diane prepared table-
side. Entrees will be complemented by
a variety of a la carte starters, salads,
side orders and a raw bar.
“The key to hand-picking the best
steak is partnering with the region’s
top purveyors and knowing the breed
of cattle, how they are raised and what
they are fed,” comments Polo Steak-
house’s (and The Garden City Hotel’s)
Executive Chef, Michael Mandato,
who has worked with such top chefs
as Jean-Georges Vongerichten at New
York’s Brandywine Restaurant, and
has cooked throughout the world,
even for such notables as the Queen of
England and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The 120-seat Polo Steakhouse will
serve weekday lunches and daily din-
ners in both the main dining room
and the Wine Room, a private space
for special events and celebrations for
up to 50 guests. The interior, imagined
by Italian designer Marcello Pozzi,
combines traditional steakhouse din-
ing with modern luxury, characterized
by hand-laid mahogany herringbone
floors, deep cabernet textiles and cus-
Iconic, Legendary Garden City Hotel Debuts New Polo Steakhouse Fall 2013Polo Steakhouse will make its debut this Fall at the iconic and historic Garden City Hotel, celebrating
its 140th-year anniversary in 2014. Polo, a quintessential American steakhouse, will be a benchmark
for steakhouses on Long Island, serving classic, hand-selected, premium-quality steak and freshly
caught seafood for discerning hotel guests and the surrounding residential and business community.
// NEWS RESTAURANTS
continued on page 79
77 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Ferri's Ed Pecinka and assisted by Jason
Butler of BSE Marketing and Mike Klat-
man of TD.
The golf awards included a first ever
presentation of fishing rods to the four-
some with the worst score. MAFSI is a
63 year-old, professional trade associa-
tion comprised of 270+ independent
sales agencies and 220+ manufacturers
of commercial foodservice equipment,
supplies, tabletop and furniture.
MAFSI represents over 2,000 sales
and marketing professionals and man-
ufacturing executives across North
America and internationally who are
a major force in the 10 billion dollar
equipment, supply, tabletop and fur-
niture segment of the foodservice in-
dustry.
The organization's primary mem-
ber is the factory sales’ representative
agency whose role is to professionally
market foodservice equipment, sup-
plies, tabletop and furniture for their
manufacturers, on a wholesale basis,
and serve as the local factory branch
office for the dealer and operator com-
munities.
Because of the interdependent rela-
tionship between manufacturers and
representatives, MAFSI is also commit-
ted to the 800 manufacturers that serve
our industry - 220+ of which are associ-
ate members of the association.
Fundamental to manufacturers, of
course, is to deliver their product to
market in the most efficient and thor-
ough method. More than 80% of the
brand names the foodservice indus-
try buys are marketed through MAFSI
Reps. The group strongly believes
that the independent representative
is more closely in touch with market
trends affecting dealers, consultants,
service agents and end-users than any
other segment in our industry’s various
distribution channels. They truly are
the windows to the marketplace.
MAFSI reps spend their day calling
on all facets of the industry with the
purpose of lending their specific prod-
uct knowledge and experience to the
foodservice community. They work
directly with the local foodservice deal-
ers and distributors, service agencies,
and end-user operators as the product
specialist and consultative sales agent.
"The MAFSI rep is a specialist that
the dealer and consultant rely upon as
they execute their work," added chap-
ter president Rob McKeown. "We sup-
port both – we replace neither Repre-
sentatives who also advocate customer
issues with their manufacturers and
dealers to ensure that the operator
is receiving exactly what they are de-
manding."
MAFSI reps typically employ 3 to 4
field representatives, 2 to 3 inside cus-
tomer service people and often have
showrooms and test kitchens to assist
customers in project planning. It is
not uncommon for MAFSI reps to also
have on staff chefs to assist the custom-
ers´ culinary team with menu planning
and preparation and cooking proce-
dures unique to specialized equipment
such as blast chillers and combi ovens.
MAFSI members’ broad range of
services are available to customers at
no expense. Our members’ field reps,
their customer service staff, their fa-
cilities and their years of specialized
experience are available to customers
at no charge because they are paid by
the manufacturers. Over 80% of food-
service manufacturers utilize the pro-
fessional sales and marketing services
of independent manufacturers’ repre-
sentatives. Manufacturers have found
that hiring independent, commission
based, sales professionals provide bet-
ter results for themselves and their cus-
tomers.
Mafsi, from page 58
78 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
79 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
tom-made Italian furniture, including
leather sofas with red piping.
“Polo Steakhouse will honor the tra-
dition of great steakhouses and will be
a defining addition to a new era of our
hotel’s history. We are putting forth a
modern classic,” says Garden City Ho-
tel General Manager Grady Colin. “Ex-
pect a sophisticated yet approachable
restaurant experience with superlative
steaks, seafood and a few surprises-
complemented by the attentive and
gracious service expected of our icon-
ic property.”
When the new restaurant opens,
Rein, the hotel’s current restaurant,
will be renamed Polo Lounge to serve
breakfast and a light menu through-
out the day, followed by cocktails and
evening entertainment.
Since 1874, The Garden City Hotel
has welcomed guests with spacious
guest rooms, luxurious suites and
genuine hospitality. Their historic
Long Island hotel has been a preferred
destination of dignitaries and celeb-
rities including the Kennedys, Sarah
Palin, the cast of Sex and The City as
well as business travelers, New York
locals and visitors from around the
globe. From post-Civil War beginnings
to our present-day grandeur, The Gar-
den City Hotel has proudly hosted
the city's finest meetings and special
events. Their award-winning service
is enhanced by timeless elegance and
modern comforts including a state-of-
the-art Health and Fitness Center, a
highly acclaimed restaurant, versatile
function space and much more.
Polo Steakhouse will make its debut this Fall at the iconic and historic Garden City Hotel (pictured above), celebrating its 140th-year anniversary in 2014
Garden City, from page 76
80 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
GrubHub may sound like a
good idea for your restau-
rant – they promise expo-
sure to hungry customers
that you may not reach otherwise. And
it’s free to list your restaurant on the
GrubHub site. Just remember, noth-
ing is free – you are charged on average
15.5% per order that GrubHub brings
to you (some people are paying 25 %
per order). In Chicago where GrubHub
headquarters is located I was trying to
help a popular pizzeria get off losing
over $22,000 to GrubHub. Wouldn’t you
like to Keep that 15.5% - 25% in your
own pocket! With a little extra work
you can reach those hungry custom-
ers yourself, and turn them into repeat
customers. Here’s your strategy to ac-
complish this: drive customers directly
to your website (bypass GrubHub), and
once they’re on your site, capture their
email addresses so you can continue
to build the relationship. There are
companies like imenu.com, (lets add 2
other ones) that will sell you simple ap-
plications that you can use online and
do these things yourself. Here are four
easy ways to drive customers directly to
your restaurant website:
Offer a deal for people to order their
next meal directly from your web-
site. Promote the deal on your web-
site, on the backs of receipts, on
your carryout menu, and on any
direct mail pieces you send out.
List your restaurant on Google Places
(now Google + local). According to
Google, 97% of consumers search on-
line for local businesses. Google Places
is free, and allows you to add photos,
post your hours, address and even vid-
eos. Google Places helps ensure cus-
tomers can find you when they type in
your name or do a general food search.
Take the time to add your restaurant
website to relevant directories. This
only takes a few minutes, and is one
of the ways tech-savvy customers are
finding local businesses. Make sure
you include all relevant details when
you list your restaurant – the more in-
formation to help customers choose
you the better. Your restaurant should
be listed on Urbanspoon, Zagat, Yelp
Menupages.com and Opentable.com.
Encourage and promote customer re-
views. Ask customers to post positive
reviews of your restaurant (you may
want to provide an incentive for this,
such as a free appetizer or dessert on
the next visit). Reviews on sites such as
Yelp link back to your website. Think
people aren’t reading online restaurant
reviews? Think again – 89% of con-
sumers say they research a restaurant
online before dining there. Looking at
menus and other restaurant informa-
tion is most common among consum-
ers age 25-45. Hook this audience with
a positive review and they’ll be sure
to visit your website to check you out!
Once customers are on your website,
always place a box with some sort of
an incentive for people to add their
email address, name, last name even
birthday (without year). Most people
will not give you their year anyway. At
least their email addresses! Encourage
first time visitors to order online with
a deal they can’t resist. Buy now and
get 25% off your next order. While they
order, they have to provide some per-
sonal information like email addresses.
That is a great way to invite them back.
You should also have a simple form on
your site to collect email addresses as
I mentioned before. Ask customers to
sign up to receive future deals, advance
notice of events you are hosting, birth-
day coupons, etc.
GrubHub claims that 91% of its diners
tried out a new restaurant. That’s great
news, but your goal should be to turn
those first time customers into loyal
customers. Sending emails is one of
the most effective ways to build loy-
alty. If you use GrubHub, you are not
collecting email addresses. GrubHub
collects the addresses, and does not
share them with you. Take the time to
capture new customers yourself, and
your long-term goal of building loyalty
will be reached.
Ola Ayeni is the Chief Idea Officer at
Dining Dialog and myeateria.com,
through eateria restaurant, food and
hospitality business owners can man-
age their email marketing, Facebook,
twitter, and text messages all in one
place saving time and money while
also using its unique coupon and gift
certificate validation system which pre-
vents reprints of offers. Sign up for a free
trial account at myeateria.com/pricing .
For restaurant marketing tips, visit our
eateria™blog at eateria.org/blog/.
Think You Need GrubHub? Think Again!
// RESTAURANT MARKETING
Ola Ayeni, Founder of Dining Dialog & myeateria.com
WITH OLA AYENI
81 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
82 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
83 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
84 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
"When select-
ing locations
for our food
show, we look
to be different from the rest of the in-
dustry. We do not like the feel of a mas-
sive hall, we look for a location with
character and personality." noted Ace
Endico Vice President Laura Endico
Verzullo.
Our past location was a beautiful
club on the water, which we loved. As
Ace Endico has grown over the years,
it just became too small to handle the
volume of customers and vendors.
After much discussion, we chose a lo-
cation of prestige, and greatness - the
"New" Yankee Stadium. What a venue.
In our eyes we chose a venue to be
proud of.
For Ace Endico, growth has come
from presenting an array of new solu-
tions for their diverse customer base
throughout the year. Once again they
brought that something special with
a first ever Ace Endico appearance by
Mr. October: Reggie Jackson.
Once again show guests were treat-
ed to over 200 vendor booths offering
special pricing, new and exciting food
demonstrations. Yankee Stadium's
Legends Hospitality chefs brought a
bevy of new menu ideas. Ace Endico
customers got the opportunity to be
photographed with World Series Tro-
phies and visits to the Dugout and
Monument Park.
The show also gave Ace Endico an
opportunity to introduce the newest
members of their lineup with the re-
cent acquisitions of Farmers Pride and
Cannillo.
EYE visited with many local food
and beverage regional managers in-
cluding:
Admiration's Beverly Barcelo-
na, Heinz’s Mike Henneborn, and
Craig Hayner, John Santangelo of Con
Agra, Primo Crust's Kirtus Westhaver,
Dan Martin of Lucky’s, Original Philly
Cheesesteak's Brian Bauman, James
Burkly of Hormel and the Unilever
duo of Tracey Minor and Elizabeth
Kirtland.
Founded in 1982, by William A.
Endico and Murray Hertzberg, Ace
Endico is the largest distributor in
Westchester and Putnam Counties
servicing the tri-state area. Ace Endi-
co’s state-of-the-art facility houses an
all-encompassing inventory featuring
dairy, produce, meats, seafood, fine
imported specialty products, paper,
canned goods and everything in be-
tween.
Ace Endico's Annual Trade ShowOnce again Yankee Stadium played host to Ace Endico's annual trade show. An overflow audience enjoyed a special day of tasting and a trip down memory lane at the newest incarnation of the "House that Ruth Built."
// EYE METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE EVENT COVERAGE
Admiration's Northeast Regional Sales Manager, Beverly Barcelona
Rosenfeld & Gigante Food Brokers' Joseph Gigante, Joseph Watson, and Jon Gigante debuted Italian-based DeCecco Pastas
Kontos' Warren Stoll and James SavasLeft to Right: Ace Endico's Matt Hertzberg and William Endico with New York Yankees VP of Corporate Sales, Michael Tusiani along with Ace Endico's Laura Endico-Verzello and Michael John Endico
Primo Crust Company's Elena and Kirtus Westhaver debuted healthy, all-natural artisan flatbreads
85 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
86 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
traction, and a negative guest experi-
ence.
Attract the LocalsIn seasonal communities, the local pop-
ulation becomes the core of your cus-
tomer base in the off-season. Cater to
them and actively attract them to your
restaurant. A good way to increase off-
season sales is to offer locals discounts:
deeply discounted wedding receptions,
special weekday prix fixe menus and/ or
corporate meetings and events. An ap-
propriately engineered menu will allow
you to do this without severely eroding
your profit margin. It is important to
curry favor with the locals, because their
great experiences at your restaurant will
turn them into your best marketing tool,
as we wrote in our blog Attracting Cus-
tomers. They are likely to recommend
you to other locals in the off-season, as
well as the in-season visitors who may
not know about you.
Maintaining a seasonal business has
unique challenges beyond those faced
by other restaurants and food service
operations. By properly planning ahead
to ride out the slower season, which
you know is coming, you will be able to
make it through to the next busy season
in good financial shape.
Don’t know where to begin? 4Q Consult-
ing can develop customized operational
guidelines to help you grow your busi-
ness. Email us today for a free business
consultation at www.4qconsult.com.
Noelle, from page 29Rutgers, from page 46
University Press. “Diners are cool in so
many ways,’’ Genovese added. “There
is something about that neon sign that
beckons.’’
Genovese is not surprised Rutgers
students wanted a diner. For people
from New Jersey it’s a taste of home.
And for students from out of state, it’s
a hallmark of life in the state they want
to experience. There are more diners
than towns in New Jersey – about 600
Genovese said – and they are special,
because unlike chain restaurants each
one is different.
The chefs working to launch the
diner have the credentials and experi-
ence to turn it into something special.
Emanuel studied at the Culinary Insti-
tute of America after graduating from
Rutgers. He built an extensive resume
in the food industry that included
working with an expert at launching
New Jersey diners before returning to
his alma mater.
The manager of the diner, Sebas-
tian Nieto, studied in Argentina and
worked in kitchens in Spain and Paris.
He served as the university’s catering
chef, chef to the university president
and won a national dining services
championship since coming to the
university. Barry Squier, who will take
on the role of chef at the diner, is the
former chef-owner of the acclaimed
and Zagat-rated Giraffe restaurant in
Basking Ridge.
Even before opening its doors, Hen-
ry’s created a stir on campus. Several
people walked in on a recent after-
noon in hopes of being the first to get
a taste as chefs tested the preparation
of items on the menu. “Diners have
this homey and friendly feeling about
them,’’ said Nieto, the manager. “It’s
a place in town where everyone gets
together – they go to the diner, have
breakfast and talk about things,’’ Nieto
said. “The university is a community.
There is no reason why it shouldn’t be
the same here.’’
87 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
88 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Stonehill & Taylor (New York, NY): The
Refinery Hotel (New York, NY)
Best Lobby — Luxury/Upscale Rottet Studio (Houston, TX): The
James Royal Palm (Miami Beach, FL)
TAL Studio (Las Vegas, NV): Hotel
Jerome (Aspen, CO)
HBA Design (Singapore): Four Sea-
sons Hotel Guangzhou (Guangzhou,
China)
Best Lobby — Midscale/Budget/Focused ServiceHOK (Toronto, ON): Delta Ottawa
City Centre (Ottawa, ON)
Simeone Deary (Chicago, IL): Hilton
Dallas Park Cities (Dallas, TX)
Simeone Deary (Chicago, IL): Hilton
Columbus Downtown (Columbus,
OH)
Best Resort
J Banks Design (Hilton Head Island,
SC): Hotel Castello di Casole (Casole
D'elsa, Italy)
BLINK Design Group Pvt Ltd (Bang-
kok, Thailand): Regent Phuket Cape
Panwa (Phuket, Thailand)
HKS (Dallas, TX): Mukul Resort (Rivas,
Nicaragua)
DPOVinteriors (Knoxville, TN): Club
La Pension Resort, Bluegreen Vaca-
tions (New Orleans, LA)
Best Restaurant — Casual DiningRottet Studio (Houston, TX): Florida
Cookery at The James Royal Palm
(Miami Beach, FL)
Kinney Chan & Asscociates (Hong
Kong): Café Bord de Mer (Hong Kong)
Munge Leung (Toronto, ON): Wes-
lodge (Toronto, ON)
GrizForm Design Architects (Wash-
ington, DC): Farmers Fishers Bakers
(Washington, DC)
Best Restaurant — Fine DiningThomas Schoos Design (West Hol-
lywood, CA): Herringbone Restaurant
(La Jolla, CA)
CORE (Washington, DC): minibar
(Washington, DC)
Thomas Schoos Design (West Hol-
lywood, CA): Figue Restaurant (La
Quinta, CA)
Best SpaICRAVE (New York, NY): BASK Spa by
Exhale (Atlantic City, NJ)
HBA (Singapore): Four Seasons Hotel
Guangzhou (Guangzhou, China)
Best SuiteThe Gallery HBA London (London,
UK): St Regis Rome (Rome, Italy)
The Gallery HBA London (London,
UK): The Alpina Gstaad (Gstaad,
Switzerland)
Rockwell Group (New York, NY): W
Singapore Sentosa Cove (Singapore)
TonyChi and Associates (New York,
NY): Rosewood London | Lord Chan-
cellor's Suite (London, UK)
Judges So Cool Nikolas Weinstein Studios, Inc. (San
Francisco, CA): Glass Sculpture for
Courtyard by Marriott Hong Kong Sha
Tin (Shanghai, China)
Jeffrey Beers (New York, NY): Toy
(New York, NY)
Josh Held Design (New York, NY):
Marquee New York Redesign (New
York, NY)
Judges for the 2013 Gold Key Awards
were: Caroline Baumann (Director,
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design
Museum); Ong Chih Ching (Founder
and CEO, KOP Group); Carlos Coutu-
rier (Managing Partner and Creative
IHMRS, from page 14
89 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
Force, GRUPO HABITA); Ted Jacobs
(VP of Global Design, W | Le Méridien
| St. Regis | The Luxury Collection,
Starwood Hotels & Resorts); Richard
Millard (Chairman and CEO, Trust
Hospitality); Priya Paul (Chairperson,
Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels); Ian
Schrager (Founder and Chairman, Ian
Schrager Company); Claus Sendlinger
(Founder and CEO, Design Hotels
AG); Petter A. Stordalen (Owner and
CEO, Nordic Choice Hotels, The
Thief Hotel, Home Invest, Home
Capital and Home Properties); Larry
Traxler (SVP — Global Design, Hilton
Worldwide); Glenn Wilson (VP, In-
ternational Interior Design, Marriott
International, Inc.).
Finalists were selected based on
aesthetic appeal, practicality and
functionality of design.
The 98th annual International Hotel,
Motel + Restaurant Show will run
Saturday, November 9, through
Tuesday, November 12, 2013, at New
York City's Jacob K. Javits Conven-
tion Center. Following a full day of
conference and networking activities
on Saturday, November 9, the IHMRS
will feature three full days of exhibits
from Sunday, November 10, through
Tuesday, November 12. The market
will present nearly 700 exhibitors
and attract nearly 18,000 industry
professionals. It is co-located with
the 4th annual Boutique Design New
York (BDNY), which will run Sun-
day, November 10 through Monday,
November 11, presenting 400 interior
product manufacturers and attracting
more than 5,000 hospitality designers,
architects and purchasing executives.
BDNY will feature two full days of ex-
pert panel presentations and interac-
tive workshops.
IHMRS is sponsored by the Ameri-
can Hotel & Lodging Association
(AH&LA), the Hotel Association of
New York City, Inc. (HANYC), and the
New York State Hospitality & Tour-
ism Association (NYSH&TA), and is
managed by Hospitality Media Group
(HMG).
Additional information is available
online, at www.ihmrs.com or www.
bdny.com. Tickets for the Gold Key
Awards gala are available for $175 and
can be purchased as part of IHMRS/
BDNY trade fair registration or as an
event ticket only.
90 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
91 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
your performance has to be at its best.
And the only way to get to that point is
through practice.
There’s been a move to farm to table, and to making foods healthier. What kind of an impact has that had on you?We’ll look at recipes, and say, how are
we going to make this gluten-free?
What can we do to substitute different
things? And the students will actually
make those things and see what the
results are. So it's maybe like a bakery
science. Regards to the farm to table
movement, we are very fortunate. I
live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which
is in the middle of Amish country. So
we're very fortunate to have a lot of
local produce, and a lot of local sup-
pliers that we can use and get great
products. Our curriculum goes year-
round so we have to be a little adapt-
able as to what is in season. It’s a little
tricky because we plan out ahead of
time what we're going be making. And
there's a purpose and a reason why we
have things in a certain order. So it's
not like in a regular small restaurant
where you can walk in at night and
say, oh, I just got this from the market,
I'm going to make this. We have to be
able to plan a little bit more, and have
a structure to what we're teaching.
So is there a move away from deca-dence in the dessert course, towards more healthy desserts?I think it's a mix. We use tried and test-
ed recipes, a lot of European-based
recipes, which use very little high-
fructose corn syrup. We use real sugars
and things. Anything in moderation,
you know? It’s all a balance between
healthy eating and exercise, which we
all should be following.
What are some of the trends that you're seeing in terms of pastry and baking? Are you seeing more choco-late? More fruit? More things on the
savory side? Yes, we’re seeing cheeses, maybe
squash purees, butternut squash pu-
rees, being combined with sweeter
items, kind of an organic feel to things.
Not so structured.
Some of your students have moved on to nice jobs.We've had students hired at Norman
Love Chocolates in Florida, the Swan
and Dolphin in Orlando, where we've
had two or three externs now, and
they've also been hired. Williamsburg
Inn. Sagamore Resort. We have a stu-
dent going for the first time now to the
Inn at Little Washington, which is one
of the top inns in the country. So we
are getting them going. We just had
two students enter a chocolate com-
petition and we came in 2nd and 4th
place. We do American Culinary Foun-
dation (ACF) competitions against
other schools, and I like to push them
to do that. It’s a lot of work on my
part, because I do a lot of extra coach-
ing with them. But I think it's great to
have them see that, experience is what
it takes.
Tell me a little about your experience.I was practicing for a competition
called the Queen of Pastry, a competi-
tion in Italy. Ten countries were com-
peting. It was basically an eight-hour
day in which we do plated desserts,
assemble a showpiece. They send you
a list of equipment, and, of course,
there's blast freezers on the list. I
didn't have one. But a colleague lent
me one, beforehand. I wouldn’t have
been able to practice for the compe-
tition without it. When we actually
competed, there were a lot of teams
who had never used one, and every-
thing they served was really rock-solid
and too frozen. So, I was really grate-
ful, because the only way I could really
successfully practice for this compe-
tition was to have the correct equip-
ment. I'm coaching the pastry chef
from Hotel Hershey for the competi-
tion in 2014. And I’m going to judge as
well. Then in November I'm going to
Dubai in the Middle East to compete
with a team of chefs as ACF. And we're
competing for the US against 12 other
countries.
What's the role of TV today, for you as an educator? And how has it af-fected the expectation levels of your students?It’s another way of becoming visible
and getting your name out there in
the industry. But it’s not the only way.
That’s why I still do professional com-
petitions to be judged by my peers,
and do certifications. It’s dangerous
to only do TV and it's not always the
reality of the industry, obviously. But it
is a great way to get publicity, get your
name out there, have other people
see what you do, because now people
are aware of show pieces and com-
petitions, and these incredible cakes,
which, a few years ago, they wouldn't
have had a clue. So, I think, in some
ways, it is really good. In other ways,
though, we'll have students come,
and say, oh, I want to graduate and
go on The Food Network. And it's just
not going to happen. The chefs that
you see on the Food Network, people
like Emeril, they've paid their dues.
They’ve worked hard. They’ve found
their niche and they’ve been recog-
nized.
What do you think it takes to get your own show on a place like The Food Network?Sometimes it's luck. The right time at
the right place. Having the right per-
sonality. What happens now is it's
more of a personality profiling than
it is a skill profiling. When they're
throwing teams together, you don't
know each other. They're looking for
certain personality types, something
going beautifully, smoothly, through-
out the TV show. It’s not always at-
tractive. It can be extremely stressful.
I had the opportunity to work on Hal-
loween Wars on The Food Network,
and through that, to work on some
amazing showpieces. I wish they
would sometimes just let us do amaz-
ing showpieces. And not have to throw
them away. The networks are looking
for the drama and the twists and the
turns. But I don't know, it'd be nice
to see us do an educational show a
little bit about pastry, to maybe have
somebody who's a professional and
somebody who's not and do a teach-
ing kind of show a little bit, with the
things that can go wrong, and every-
thing else. There was a show overseas,
The American Baker, where they were
all amateurs, but they really took them
through all the different levels of pas-
try, from breads and custards, and
viewers really liked it.
Do you enjoy being on TV?People come to the school sometimes
because they’ve seen me on TV. It’s a
great way to get the word out about
what we do. And hey, it’s job security!
Notter, from page 30
We’ll look at recipes, and
say, how are we going
to make this gluten-
free? What can we do
to substitute different
things? And the students
will actually make those
things and see what the
results are.
92 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
In order for a restaurant to
be successful the first must
is that there is a lot of traffic
surrounding your location.
It’s good to be around places
where people shop because people
want to eat when they shop! Look for
community shopping centers, shop-
ping districts and even regional malls.
Entertainment districts are also good –
movies, theaters, concert halls – what
are called destination areas.
For example, if you’re opening up a
breakfast-lunch business, you prob-
ably don’t want to be located near an
all-night bookstore that only thrives in
the evening (though some might like
an early breakfast!). The same goes
for a restaurant that serves lunch. You
want to be in a business setting so ur-
ban districts or business districts are
great. If you’re a restaurant that caters
to a dinner crowd you do not want to
be near business districts that empty
out at 5:00 p.m. but rather it’s best to
be near a residential area.
When choosing a location, an oper-
ator needs to do a financial projection
of what that particular location would
do in gross revenues less projected
expenses including but not limited
to rental or real estate expense, food
cost, and labor costs. You want a spot
that’s going to allow you to do the vol-
ume you project to make a profit. As a
rule of thumb, most restaurant opera-
tors want their real estate cost to be a
maximum of 10% of gross sales.
Now, a lot goes into that, and, of
course, it’s different if you’re talking
about a sit/down restaurant or a deli/
takeout establishment. You have to
crunch the numbers and project how
many people you think you’ll be serv-
ing. You have to figure out how many
covers you’ll do a day multiplied by
what your average check is to equate
into your gross sales. If you’re project-
ing a thousand customers a day, and
the average ticket is $8, that’s $240,000
a month for a 30-day month, which
is approximately $2.9 million a year.
You’ll want your real estate costs to be
$290,000 annually or less. Actually if
you’re doing that kind of volume your
real estate costs will probably be a lot
less, however, it depends upon the size
of the location, where it is located and
the real estate costs for that location.
Now, let’s talk about lease terms. As
mentioned you will be putting a lot of
dollars into construction, build-out,
fixtures, etc., and you’ll need a lease
long enough to amortize your costs,
get your investment back and collect
profits. Remember the shorter the
lease, the greater the risk.
Most restaurant operators desire
a 10-year initial term with one or
two 5-year options. In New York City,
though, landlords don’t like to give
that long a tenure. If you can, go for a
15-year lease, including options.
The legal aspects of opening a res-
taurant are some of the most complex
parts of the opening puzzle. Here’s
where the pieces really begin to move.
We’re talking permits, licenses, and all
kinds of requirements to get both. In
New York City for instance you have
to get approval from four municipal
organizations -- Department of Build-
ings, Department of Mental Health
and Hygiene, Department of Environ-
mental Protection and the Fire De-
partment.
The Department of Buildings will
provide a plan review of construction
drawings and conduct inspections.
The Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene will provide pre-operational
health inspections. The Department
of Environmental Protection will con-
duct a grease interceptor inspection.
The Fire Department will provide
commercial cooking rangehood in-
spections in addition to general safety
inspections.
Additionally, there are many ongo-
ing inspections including those by the
Department of Health and Mental Hy-
giene, which provide various grades
of cleanliness to food service estab-
lishments. In New York City, they’re
now giving grades once you’re open. I
would speak to a lawyer to make sure
you’re doing everything you need.
Prior to opening, the health depart-
ment will come in and check a lot of
things, like whether your thermom-
eters are where they’re supposed to be
and whether you have enough hand
sinks and if they are located in the
proper locations. They will also check
your grease trap along with the envi-
// LEGAL WITH MITCHELL SEGAL
Location, Location, LocationFinding a site for a new restaurant or before purchasing a
restaurant with an existing location demands that one looks
into the demographics of that particular location.
Mitchell Segal
Segal Law PLLC assists clients with all
legal matters relating to establishing and
running a restaurant, bar or franchise
throughout New York, including Manhat-
tan, Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island.
Most restaurant
operators desire a
10-year initial term
with one or two 5-year
options. In New York
City, though, landlords
don’t like to give that
long a tenure. If you
can, go for a 15-year
lease, including options.
93 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
ronmental protection department to
see if it works and whether its size is
sufficient, and they will check your
refrigeration units to make sure your
restaurant runs in the proper fashion.
In New York City new restaurants
can be pre-approved before they open.
That means you have comfort before
you open that they won’t come down
on you! It’s a totally new program put
in place by Mayor Michael Bloomberg
to make restaurants 100% compliant
prior to opening and thus avoid po-
tential shut downs and/or fines.
Now, if you have a hood, you’ll need
a certified fire compression special-
ist to certify it, and you’ll have to file
the proper permits with the building
and fire departments. To get the gas
hooked up, plumbers and gas con-
tractors can help. Your fire extinguish-
ers have to be stamped and permitted
properly.
Some restaurants may need addi-
tional permits, like place of assembly
permits, sidewalk café permits, and
signage permits to name a few. If there
is going to be dancing a cabaret li-
cense will be needed.
Finally, let’s talk about liquor li-
censes. In New York, when opening a
new restaurant, all you need is a lease
showing that you have control of the
space in order to initially start the ap-
plication process ( i.e. the establish-
ment does not have to be ready for
business to initially file). Two very im-
portant requirements are concerned
with your location. In order to obtain
a full on premises liquor license an es-
tablishment cannot be located within
200 feet of a church, temple or other
religious setting, or school. That will
throw you out of the box immediately
and prevent you from getting a full
liquor license. (Beer and wine are dif-
ferent.)
The second rule has to do with es-
tablishments already located near
you. It is more difficult to obtain a
license if there are already three or
more establishments that have a full
liquor license within a 500-foot radius
of each other, however it is not a deal
breaker.
My advice: Start the application pro-
cess before your place is completed
and operational. As long as you have
the lease showing you have control of
the property, you can do that.
Some other requirements are that
the operating entity would have to
have a bond, notify the Community
Board where the restaurant is located
in the 5 boroughs or the town or village
if located outside of the 5 boroughs 30
days before filing the application, pro-
vide detailed diagrams of the space,
show a copy of the lease, and explain
your finances. The N.Y.S. Liquor Au-
thority always wants to know where
the money came from!
Remember time is money. Most
people opening a restaurant don’t
have an unlimited amount of mon-
ey. The longer the construction and
opening process takes increasing ones
investment the longer it will take to
earn your investment back. The key
to opening a restaurant in any city
is to have all your ducks in a row, so
you can get through the acquisition,
construction and opening process as
quickly as possible and you can start
achieving revenue.
The bottom line? It’s like going to a
cardiologist to get your feet fixed. You
want the right guy. Planning and the
right guidance are imperative in this
process. Seriously consider talking to
a lawyer or an accountant, someone
who has been there before. Good luck!
94 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
The 25th anniversary edi-
tion of the world’s largest
and most attended ko-
sher trade show will fea-
ture special events and
programs to mark its 25th anniversary,
including a Keynote session highlight-
ing the growth of the kosher industry
in the last 25 years. More than 6,000
industry professionals are expected to
attend, and more than 325 exhibitors
will feature kosher-certified products
and services for the kosher market.
Kosherfest is the world’s largest
kosher-certified products trade show
and annual meeting place for the
industry's top kosher supermarket,
restaurant and foodservice buyers.
According to Menachem Lubinsky,
co-producer and show founder, “In
the last 25 years we have seen the
number of kosher-certified items
grow from a few thousand to almost
200,000. Major food companies have
changed their ingredients and equip-
ment in order to get kosher certifica-
tion, and consumers, both Jewish
and non-Jewish, seek the kosher
symbol on the food products they buy
more than ever before. Today, Kosher-
fest hosts exhibitors from countries
around the world, from Israel and
Argentina to New Zealand and Africa.
“The growth of kosher wines and
spirits has skyrocketed. There is a
multitude of award-winning kosher
wine from companies large and small,
produced at vineyards around the
world. These have come a long way
from the traditional notion of kosher.
Kosher has truly become a worldwide
phenomenon.”
Products at Kosherfest encompass
kosher certified foods and beverages
for retail sale and ingredients and pre-
pared foods for foodservice, including
wine and spirits. “No doubt, this is
a show not to be missed by anyone
looking to grow their kosher busi-
ness,” said Yakov M. Yarmove, Ethnic
Marketing and Specialty Foods, NAI/
JEWEL-OSCO, who sources kosher
product for one of the largest retail
chains in the United States.
Kosherfest gives manufacturers,
distributors and suppliers of ko-
sher certified products and services
the opportunity to reach thousands of
mainstream and independent kosher
trade buyers from across the globe.
Kosherfest exhibitors receive expo-
sure to high volume buyers via the
Key Buyer Program, access to educa-
tion sessions covering the industry’s
most relevant topics, media exposure,
sponsorship and advertising oppor-
tunities, exhibitor-only entries to the
Kosherfest New Product Competi-
tion, a New Product Showcase (at
show) and promotion of at-show-only
exhibitor specials.
Among the highlights will be The
2013 “Kosher Supervisor of the Year”
award, presented by KASHRUS
Magazine. The award, sponsored by
the producers of Kosherfest, Estihana
Restaurant (with Brooklyn and Man-
hattan locations) and Chai KoTapas
Restaurant (Teaneck, NJ), will be
presented on Wednesday, October
30 prior to the 6th annual Kosherfest
Culinary Competition.
For a long time kosher supervi-
sors (Mashgiach) were the “unsung
heroes” of the kosher food business.
Now, they are recognized for the im-
portant role they play with this spe-
cial “Kosher Supervisor of the Year”
annual award. The recipient, chosen
from nominations submitted by lead-
ing certifying agencies, will receive an
award and $1000 cash gift.
Kosherfest will sponsor the 2013
award in conjunction with two ko-
sher restaurants. In previous years,
KASHRUS Magazine presented the
award to Gedalya Silverstein of At-
lanta, GA (2011) and Moshe Stander
of Boynton Beach, FL.
The kosher supervisor (mashgi-
ach) is the vital link in the chain that
ensures that a food product is actually
kosher. A Mashgiach is a Jew who
supervises the kashrut status of a ko-
sher establishment. A mashgiah may
supervise any type of food service
establishment, including slaughter-
houses, food manufacturers, hotels,
caterers, nursing homes, restaurants,
butchers, groceries, or cooperatives.
The mashgiach usually works as the
on-site supervisor and inspector, rep-
resenting the kashrut organization or
a local rabbi, who actually makes the
policy decisions for what is or is not
acceptably kosher.
KASHRUS Magazine, the peri-
odical for the kosher consumer and
trade, has participated in Kosherfest
since its inception in 1988. Kosher
trade manufacturers, merchants and
marketers subscribe to KASHRUS
Magazine for valuable information for
their business and personal life.
// EVENTS
Kosherfest Set To Celebrate 25th Anniversary In JerseyThe 2013 Kosherfest show, the world’s largest kosher-certified products trade show and
annual meeting place for the industry's top kosher supermarket, restaurant and foodservice
buyers is set for October 29-30, 2013, Meadowlands Exposition Center, Secaucus, NJ.
METRO NEW YORK FOODSERVICE EVENTS
Products at Kosherfest
encompass kosher
certified foods and
beverages for retail
sale and ingredients
and prepared foods for
foodservice, including
wine and spirits.
95 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
1996 Olympics in Atlanta and was
Chef of the Turner Trumpet Awards.
Palm is also the recipient of nu-
merous First Place medals for ice
carvings and tallow sculptures at the
International Food Show in New York
City. He has been awarded two gold
medals and two grand prizes from
the Caribbean Culinary Federation,
and was the featured Chef at the In-
ternational Culinary Festival in Can-
cun Mexico where he was awarded
first place. He is a graduate of Bergen
Community College. Chef Palm is re-
locating to the Glen Cove area.
The award winning Glen Cove
Mansion Hotel and Conference Cen-
ter is situated on 55 secluded and
landscaped acres on Long Island's
historic Gold Coast.
The spacious Georgian style man-
sion features stunning vistas of Long
Island Sound and was once part of
a prestigious collection of gracious
country estates, later becoming one
of the nation's first dedicated con-
ference center hotels.
Today the elegant property fea-
tures 187 richly appointed guest-
rooms, including four suites, the
Garden Room Restaurant with mag-
nificent views of the terraces, a large
and comfortable Pub 1910, private
dining rooms ideal for social and
corporate occasions, as well as vast
outdoor reception areas overlooking
the mansion's Gilded Age gardens.
Are you using sustainable sources for your dishes?Whenever we can we do. We use Ni-
man Ranch for all of our Pork prod-
ucts.
What advice would you give to young chefs just getting started?Biggest thing is to make sure they love
the business. It’ll never be a 9-5 job. I
feel like I work 24 hours a day. If you
don’t love it, you won’t make it.
Do you change your menu seasonally at Tao? What’s the process in devel-oping new menu entrées? We change it a few times a year, not
necessarily seasonally. When we feel
it’s time to change a dish we do it, but
we have a lot of menu items that are
Tao classics. We mostly improve cur-
rent dishes. We take ideas from ev-
erywhere and roll with it – it’s a team
effort.
On the equipment side, do you have a piece of equipment that you can’t live without that makes your job easier preparing dishes?A well sharpened knife.
The restaurant industry has a very broad range of foods…what’s your buying approach? Do you go out to bid on a regular basis or do you look for loyalty from vendors?We do a little bit of both. Bid out ev-
erything, but do enjoy some loyalty
and trust with vendors. Some items
we buy based on pricing, others are
based on quality – it depends.
What role does the vendor commu-nity on both the equipment and food supply side play?A big role – a really good vendor can
get you stuff really fast, or get us stuff
no one else has. Having a good rela-
tionship with them is really impor-
tant.
There’s always talk of healthier eat-ing, are your customers looking for that at Tao, and if so, how do you ca-ter to the growing demand?We are very sensitive to allergies and
have added a lot of gluten free dishes.
We do what we can.
Do you feel that the restaurant in-dustry suffers too much from Zagat, Yelp, and other consumer review sights? Are consumers depending too much on review?They’re good, but some people rely
on it too much. I think people should
read through all of them, not base
their opinion on one review.
Whether good, bad or a mix of both, what are some of the biggest chang-es you’ve seen in our industry since your career started? The biggest change is the way it’s got-
ten so big. The industry used to be so
small. Social media really spearhead-
ed the industry growth. Everyone’s a
critic now.
Biggest thing is to
make sure they love the
business. It’ll never be
a 9-5 job. I feel like I
work 24 hours a day.
If you don’t love it, you
won’t make it.
Chefcetera, from page 40 Long Island, from page 24
96 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
said. As far as compensation? No one
would divulge exact numbers, but
Donna Marie Fico, director of mar-
keting and education for Eva’s Vil-
lage, said, “It’s executive-level pay,
competitive for the industry.”
In their six-month search for a chef
to head their school, Eva’s Village’s
board of directors sought a candi-
date who had not only top-notch
culinary credentials but the compas-
sion and the humility to work with
a struggling population. “It wasn’t
so much that we wanted the four-
star chef de cuisine,” Fico said. “We
wanted someone with the heart and
passion to help turn people’s lives
around.”
Eva’s Village received around 300
applications for the position and
narrowed down the selection to
three finalists.
After stumbling upon a video on-
line of Dela Cruz being honored for
his Educator of the Year award he
modestly left it out of his application
Fico had a hunch he was their candi-
date. “His résumé had everything we
were looking for,” she said.
Born in Maui, Dela Cruz stumbled
upon his love of cooking as a busi-
ness major at the University of Ha-
waii, preparing Hawaiian comfort
foods like fried rice with Spam for his
dorm mates.
“I discovered I was most happy
when I was cooking,” said the dark-
haired Dela Cruz, who punctuates
his sentences with gentle laughter.
He plans to expose his new pupils to
Hawaiian classics like roasted pig (in
the oven, not in a ditch as it’s tradi-
tionally cooked), poke (raw fish) and
lomi lomi (fresh salted salmon and
tomato salad). “I have to bring in
some culture,” he said.
At the Maui Culinary Academy,
where Dela Cruz earned his culi-
nary certificate and later returned
to teach, he was a student favorite.
“Darryl just had a wonderful de-
meanor with students,” said former
colleague Chris Speere. “He was very
nurturing and had a great sense of
humor. Darryl lets his actions speak
for him,” Speere said. “He tends to
stay in the background.”
He also is not one to boast of his
achievements: In 2002, he received
the Hawaii Board of Regents Excel-
lence in Teaching award. He also led
a team of his students to the Ameri-
can Culinary Federation’s national
cooking competition.
Wearing a white chef’s coat with
his name and title inscribed in blue
letters, Dela Cruz was at Eva’s Village
on a recent afternoon preparing the
school’s 20-week curriculum, which
will include classes in knife skills,
the seven cooking techniques (that
is, roasting, sautéing, pan frying,
deep frying, braising, poaching and
grilling), butchery and basic pastry
baking.
The curriculum will be submitted
in the fall for state accreditation, and
the school is scheduled to open in
March. If all goes according to plan,
some of the students and graduates
of the school will also be cooking the
800 meals served to Eva’s Village’s
residents and Paterson’s hungry ev-
ery day in the large dining room of
its soup kitchen. Dela Cruz plans to
make those meals healthier.
“There are not a lot of executive
chefs running soup kitchens,” Fico
said. “But by integrating the school
into the kitchen, we’ll have the re-
sources to make more fresh food.
We’re going to have the manpower
to cut up fresh vegetables instead of
purchasing frozen.”
Dela Cruz, from page 42
97 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
98 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
99 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
business is not of selling food. Alcohol
also would be exempt. Supermarkets
and convenience stores are looking for
the same exemption in the final rules.
Representatives from the supermarket
industry say it would cost them up to a
billion dollars to put the rules in place,
and that cost would have to be passed
on to consumers. Convenience stores
say they will have the same problems.
It would seem to this observer that
the simple solution would be stop
selling these same profitable items
that food service outlets sell, if you
don’t want to play by the same rules.
(A plausible but totally unacceptable
solution, I would think.)
Nutrition lobbyist Margo Wootan,
of the Center for Science in the Public
Interest, said, “Consumer advocates
heard the same kind of complaining
from the packaged food industry be-
fore they were required to put nutri-
tion information on the backs of food
items. Supermarkets and convenience
stores should be included because
they are breaking more and more into
the prepared food business. The su-
permarket industry is positioning it-
self as a place for prepared food items
so that you don’t have to go out to eat
or cook.” She stated that a rotisserie
chicken labeled with a calorie count
at a takeout restaurant should also
be labeled at a grocery store. “It is the
National Restaurant Association’s po-
sition that supermarkets and conve-
nience stores should be included. It’s
about the food, not the format; they,
supermarkets and convenience stores,
are selling the same thing.”
A final observation: Many super-
markets in numerous parts of the
country now have full-service restau-
rants under the same roof as a store, as
well as full-blown catering divisions.
How long will it be before your favorite
supermarket has someone answering
the phone in this fashion? “Welcome
to Smith’s Super Store. For groceries,
press 1; for Dining Room, press 2; for
Catering, press 3.”
Sampson, from page 10
100 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
dients this fresh and of this quality, it
makes our jobs as chefs not only that
much easier, but that much more en-
joyable.”
“I’ve worked in top restaurants all
over the country, but I’ve found some
of the best products at farms right here
in Connecticut,” added Chef Morton.
Farm-to-Chef Week was started in
2010 by the Connecticut Department
of Agriculture as part of its Farm-to-
Chef Program. According to Commis-
sioner Reviczky, it is a way for culinary
professionals to tap into their creativ-
ity. It also provides an opportunity for
residents and visitors to learn more
about the vast array of items grown
and raised in Connecticut and to enjoy
some of those items prepared in new
and unusual ways.
“With so many types of foodservice
venues participating, there are choices
for every taste and budget,” he said.
“Vegans, vegetarians, pescetarians, and
carnivores alike all have a multitude of
options during Farm-to-Chef Week,
whether they want a formal, multi-
course dinner or a quick lunch on the
go. The variety is one of the things that
makes this week-long event special.”
While the popular restaurant-week
concept often follows a fixed-price,
dinner-menu structure, Farm-to-Chef
Week’s guidelines encourage diversity
and creativity in menu development.
Participants must offer a minimum
of four items, with each featuring one or
more Connecticut Grown items. Ven-
ues that normally serve alcohol must
also offer at least one Connecticut
wine. Beyond that, the menu is limited
only by the chef’s imagination.
The result is a plethora of offerings
ranging from traditional fare such as
stews, soups, burgers, sandwiches, and
salads, to more unusual dishes such
as the ice cream flavors and chocolate
confections made with Connecticut
Grown fruits and herbs that were fea-
tured in previous years.
The Connecticut Department of Ag-
riculture launched the Farm-to-Chef
Program in 2006 to help connect food-
service professionals with Connecticut
Grown farm products. There is no cost
to either farmers or chefs to join.
The agency has conducted a variety
of farm tours, meetings and confer-
ences, trade shows, and other activities
as part of the program to help foster
relationships between farmers and
chefs. The program has received wide-
spread acclaim from both participants
and observers, and has served as a
model for programs in other states.
Over the past six years, the Farm-to-
Chef Program has grown significantly
primarily by word of mouth and ad-
justed its programming to better serve
members, based on input from all in-
volved.
As the Governor’s Council for Ag-
ricultural Development has worked
these past 18 months on developing
a holistic strategic plan for Connecti-
cut agriculture, it has prioritized the
strengthening of farm-to-institution
pathways. As a result, the Farm-to-
Chef Program is looking to the council
for additional stakeholder input and
guidance to further shape and enhance
its offerings.
Farm to Chef, from page 6
101 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
JFK, from page 2
as well as fun Japanese small plates.
Croque Madame brings a playful
sandwich shop to JFK that offers tra-
ditional French sandwiches, tartines
(open faced sandwiches), mouth-
watering crepes, and a selection
of made-to-order salads. Chef An-
drew Carmellini's menu at Croque
Madame highlights fresh ingredi-
ents and classic flavors. This eatery
features a full breakfast and fresh
breads and pastries from some of
New York’s best bakeries including
Pain D'Avignon. The vibrant design
adds a whimsical element to the ter-
minal with its exuberant, feminine
patterns. It is a celebration of excess
much like French design and cuisine.
Cibo Express' Gourmet Markets
feature a wide assortment of freshly
prepared products and bottled bev-
erages, including more than 1,000
different products. The markets fea-
ture not only 57 varieties of sand-
wiches, wraps, sides and salads ro-
tated through the offerings, but also
an expansive assortment of nuts,
fruits, dried fruits, sweets, choco-
lates, cookies, health bars, granolas,
veggies, cheese, crackers, side salads
and pastas, spreads and dips, chips,
pretzels and pastries.
In addition, Tagliare will bring
classic New York-style pizza by the
slice or the pie, baked fresh all day
using local ingredients to the airport.
WorldBean features fresh roasted
coffee and espresso drinks. Fair-
trade beans are sourced seasonally
from small farmers throughout the
world. Roasted in small batches to
ensure freshness, the coffee selec-
tion will rotate depending on which
coffee crops are in season. Balthazar
pastries will be served at World Bean.
OTG is an award-winning air-
port food & beverage operator with
more than 175 restaurants and retail
boutiques in 10 airports, including
Minneapolis-St. Paul, John F. Ken-
nedy, LaGuardia, Toronto Pearson,
Boston Logan, Tucson, Washington
National, Orlando, Chicago O'Hare
and Philadelphia. Since its entry into
airports in 1996, OTG has been rec-
ognized throughout the industry for
its exceptional customer focus and
groundbreaking innovation; grow-
ing to become the second largest
privately held airport food operator
in the United States in just over a de-
cade.
102 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com
lotushko and Nina Barba, Toni Lehr of
Lehr-McKeown for Glissen Nu-Foam
products,
Conrad Bennet of McDonald Paper
& Restaurant Supply, Modern Line
Furniture’s Vlad Spivak, Rabbi Yaakov
Spivak of United Kosher Supervision,
Inc., Mitchell Segal of Segal Law, PLLC
and Electro Freeze's Anthony Lana.
Finally, the show showcased Share
Our Strength’s Dine Out For No Kid
Hungry™, a national fundraising event
that helps ensure no child in America
grows up hungry. During the show
month, participating restaurants raise
funds in a variety of ways to support
the No Kid Hungry® campaign to end
childhood hunger in America.
Call Vic Rose: 732-864-2220
Holiday, from page 44
BOOTH #218
103 • October 2013 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com