As a result of waning optimism among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association's (NRA) Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) declined for the third consecutive month in June. The RPI, a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry, fell 0.3 percent from May's index level to reach 99.5 in June. This is the second consecutive month the RPI has been below 100.
Restaurant operators reported a net decline in same-store sales in June, though the results were a modest improvement from the May performance. Thirty-nine percent of restaurant operators reported a same-store sales gain between June 2009 and June 2010, up from 35 percent of operators who reported higher sales in May. Additionally, 33 percent of restaurant operators reported an increase in customer traffic between June 2009 and June 2010, matching the proportion who reported higher customer traffic in May. Similarly, 43 percent of operators reported a traffic decline in June, unchanged from the proportion who reported lower traffic in May.
Forty-three percent of operators said they made a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling during the last three months, down slightly from 45 percent who reported similarly last month.
For complete data, visit www.restaurant.org/trendmapper.
by Lacey Griebeler, Chef Magazine
In conjunction with Chef Magazine's July issue (read it here), which focused on breakfast foods, we bring you some innovative breakfast and brunch-buffet tools to help make the most important meal of the day an easy one to prepare, too.
Automatic pancake machine. If breakfast is big business for your restaurant, check out Popcake, a commercial-grade, fully automatic pancake-making machine. With the press of a button, Popcake churns out perfectly cooked, low-fat pancakes every 20 seconds in three possible sizes: large (5 1/2-inch diameter), medium (4-inch diameter) and mini (2-inch diameter). Consider the uses beyond standard pancakes, too; the company recommends trying the mini size for blinis and canapés. Smaller than a commercial microwave, the Popcake machine is an easy addition to the back of the house--or it can be incorporated into a buffet setting. Visit www.popcake.com.
Safer bagel slicer. While bagels are an ideal breakfast food for on-the-go customers, slicing a plethora of bagels individually to order can be tedious as well as dangerous. But most kitchens may not have the space for a relatively large-footprint automatic slicer either. Enter the Brooklyn Bagel Slicer, a stainless-steel serrated knife with an outer guard to allow the operator to neatly and evenly cut the bagel in half without worrying about fingers. The Brooklyn Bagel Slicer has an ergonomic design and is dishwasher-safe. The Classic model has one blade for creating even halves, and the Club Knife has two blades to cut bagels or rolls into three slices for making club sandwiches. Visit www.brooklynbagelslicer.com.
Waffle mix dispenser. Looking to cut down on labor for the brunch banquet and save time by prepping the day before? The Waffle mix masters at Carbon's Golden Malted offer the Better Batter Dispenser for self-service applications, and the machine allows for batter to be prepped up to 24 hours in advance. During breakfast, guests can walk up to the machine, place a single-serving cup under the nozzle, and push down on the lever to fill the cup with batter, then cook their waffles on a hot waffle iron close by. The batter is held in a disposable liner inside the stainless-steel body, which makes for a nice presentation and easy clean-up at the end of breakfast service. The unit maintains the batter at the proper temperature yet does not need an electrical hookup. Visit www.goldenmalted.com.
In celebration of the recent expansion of its South Florida division, foodservice distributor U.S. Foodservice donated 2,000 meals to Feeding South Florida and hosted a cooking event featuring some top U.S. chefs.
Troy McLellan, Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce president and CEO was among attendees at the event, which included tours of the new U.S. Foodservice facility, cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs and samplings of the latest food trends. The chefs included:
- Walter Scheib, executive chef at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.V., the Boca Raton Club and Resort and the Capitol Hilton in Washington, D.C.
- Johnny Rivers, culinary consultant
- Allen Susser, owner of Chef Allen's Seafood Grill, Aventura, Fla., and Taste Gastropub, Delray Beach, Fla.
- Rudy Speckamp, CMC, senior culinary consultant to the Culinary Institute of America
Members of the West Boca Raton Community High School culinary team assisted the chefs during the event. In recognition of their efforts, U.S. Foodservice--South Florida provided $2,400 in scholarships to fund culinary curriculum at West Boca Raton Community High School.
For more information about U.S. Foodservice, visit www.usfoodservice.com.
The International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE)'s inaugural Becoming Environmentally Sustainable Together (BEST) in Baking initiative identified 16 industry suppliers that are making a positive impact on the environment. The program was launched as part of a commitment to positive transformation within the grain-based food industry. Suppliers that participated in the program did so by submitting entries demonstrating how their product or service fostered energy conservation, a reduction in water usage, a decrease in landfill waste, healthy living and/or a reduction of the overall impact on the environment.
The following companies have committed to sustainability through innovative
products, services, technologies and/or programs:
IBIE 2010 is taking place Sept. 26 to 29 in Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.bakingexpo.org.
The federal government needs to clear up misconceptions about the oil spill and encourage travel to the Gulf of Mexico, said Ralph Brennan, New Orleans restaurateur and former National Restaurant Association (NRA) chairman, at a July 27 hearing before Congress about helping the Gulf of Mexico recover from the BP oil spill.
"The long-term consequences and impact on tourism of a damaged brand are severe," Brennan (pictured, left) told members of the House Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee. "Decreased visits lead to job loss, decreased tax revenue and more."
The hearing examined the impact of the April 20 oil spill on travel and tourism. Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) said he wanted to ensure the travel and tourism industry wasn't left out of the $20 billion claims pool BP created to compensate oil spill victims.
Brennan, who owns 12 restaurants, including nine in New Orleans, spoke on behalf of the NRA and the Alabama, Florida and Mississippi restaurant industries. He said marketing money was needed to counter misperceptions that New Orleans and other Gulf Coast destinations were damaged and that Gulf seafood wasn’t safe to eat. Restaurant sales even in inland restaurants, such as those in New Orleans, have decreased as visitors stay away in the wake of the oil spill, he said.
For more information, visit www.news.restaurant.org.
As part of its Institute for Professional Development series, the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) will host a "Media Training and Crisis Management" seminar on Aug. 3. Led by foodservice public relations expert Ellen Hartman, APR, Fellow PRSA and president of Fitzgerald + Co. PR, the session aims to train restaurateurs in communicating with the media, specifically within crisis situations.
The seminar will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at Pricci restaurant in Atlanta. For more information about the seminar or registration, visit www.garestaurants.org.
Dr. Janey Thornton, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) deputy under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, will be a guest speaker at the 2010 American Culinary Federation National Convention taking place Aug. 2 to 5 in Anaheim, Calif.
Thornton (pictured) was appointed to her current position by President Barack Obama on April 1, 2009, and is responsible for developing and promoting science-based dietary guidance and administering the USDA's 15 nutrition-assistance programs.
At the ACF National Convention, Thornton will discuss the partnership between ACF and the USDA as it relates to educating the public on childhood nutrition and healthy eating as well as the Chefs Move to Schools program. The program, launched on the South Lawn of the White House June 4 by First Lady Michelle Obama and White House assistant chef and food initiative coordinator Sam Kass, will be run through the USDA.
The ACF National Convention, hosted by ACF Orange Empire Chefs & Professional Cooks Association, is expected to bring together more than 2,000 chefs, cooks, culinary students and foodservice professionals from across the country. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org.
Photo courtesy of the USDA
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) will host its 13th annual Worlds of Flavor International Conference & Festival on Japanese cuisine from Nov. 4 to 6 at the CIA's Greystone campus in St. Helena, Calif.
The conference, aimed primarily at foodservice professionals, will feature more than 50 accomplished chefs and food professionals from Japan to lead sessions covering such topics as Japanese ingredients, beverages, techniques for flavor development and aesthetics of presentation. For more information, visit www.worldsofflavor.com.
About
Chef's Stirrings is the official blog of Chef Magazine, the industry publication for restaurant and foodservice professionals. The blog offers culinary news and online exclusives from the editors ofChef.
As a result of waning optimism among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association's (NRA) Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) declined for the third consecutive month in June. The RPI, a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry, fell 0.3 percent from May's index level to reach 99.5 in June. This is the second consecutive month the RPI has been below 100.
