Due to soft sales and traffic levels and a deteriorating outlook among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association's (NRA) Restaurant Performance Index (RPI), which tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry, fell 0.1 percent from June to reach 99.4 in July. This is the third consecutive month the RPI stood below 100.
Restaurant operators reported negative same-store sales for the fourth consecutive month in July, with the overall results similar to June. Thirty-nine percent of restaurant operators reported a same-store sales gain between July 2009 and July 2010, matching the proportion of operators who reported higher sales in June. Meanwhile, 44 percent of operators reported a same-store sales decline in July, compared to 43 percent of operators who reported negative sales in June.
Restaurant operators also reported a net decline in customer traffic levels in July. Thirty-five percent of restaurant operators reported an increase in customer traffic between July 2009 and July 2010, up slightly from 33 percent of operators who reported higher customer traffic in June. Forty-six percent of operators reported a traffic decline in July, up from 43 percent who reported lower traffic in June.
The RPI is based on the responses to the NRA's Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures. The full report is available at www.restaurant.org/trendmapper.
The National Honey Board has launched "Hot from the Hive," a free, quarterly e-newsletter offering honey news and information for foodservice industry professionals.
Each issue of "Hot from the Hive" features honey industry news, recipes and consumer trends. Additionally, the e-newsletter's Honey 101 section offers helpful how-to's on honey. Click here for the subscription form.
The National Honey Board conducts research, marketing and promotion programs to help maintain and expand markets for honey and honey products. Visit www.honey.com for more information.
by Cassi Petrusevski, special to Chef Magazine
During the hot days of summer, the food industry is saturated with steep competition; establishments are displaying diverse menus and promotions to lure diners and keep them wanting more. This year, restaurants across the country have sought collaboration among the diverse culinary and baking talent in the back of the house for chef-driven promotions to entice foodies.
Chef vs. chef
On July 15, Hotel Shattuck Plaza's Five-Modern American Bistro & Bar in Berkeley, Calif., launched its first dinner of a one-of-a-kind quarterly series entitled, "Banks and Scott's Seasonal Showdown Dinners." Together, executive chef Banks White and creative consulting chef Scott Howard composed a five-course dinner menu themed to fit within the typical summer palate--barbecue.
(l to r) Chefs Scott Howard and Banks White prepare dueling dishes for Five's Seasonal Showdown Dinner
This meal, however, presented a twist to diners: Each course unveiled dueling dishes from the chefs while the patrons became the food critics, rating their favorite from each course on the basis of creativity, taste and presentation. The chefs utilized ingredients that promoted local, sustainable and organic farmers while representing the flavors from their home states--White celebrating Texas and Howard highlighting North Carolina. Pastry chef Robert Hac created desserts that showcased the chefs' influence while Rosenblum Cellars paired the perfect wines with each course. The dinner was priced at $52 without wine pairings and $65 with wine pairings.
Upcoming "Banks and Scott's Seasonal Showdown Dinners" will be a fall harvest and beer-themed meal on Oct. 21, and a sustainable seafood and champagne-themed dinner on Jan. 20, 2011.
Showcasing a star baker
Gracie's Restaurant, Providence, R.I., embraced the talents of internationally recognized baker Ciril Hitz on Aug. 9 as the featured chef in the restaurant's second Star Chef Series. Hitz captivated Gracie's guests with intricate creations built upon his diverse experience.
Hitz studied three years in Switzerland, learning and perfecting the science of developing appetizing and attractive breads and pastries. In 2002, he placed second for the U.S. at the Coupe de Monde de La Boulangerie in Paris; he went on to take the gold overall at the National Bread and Pastry Team Championship in Atlantic City, N.J., in 2004. Hitz's artisan breads and pastries have been featured on "The Today Show" and The Food Network.
As a guest at the Star Chef Series, Hitz was paired up with Gracie's culinary team, led by executive chef Matthew Varga. Collaboratively, they invented an exclusive five-course menu that was paired with matching wines. The five-course menu with wine pairings featuring the talents of Hitz, Varga and Gracie's culinary team sold for $100 a ticket.
Speakeasy redux for a cause
The Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, teamed up with Phillip Foss, formerly executive chef of Lockwood (Foss has since moved on to pursue an independent venture), to bring elite chefs and local distilleries together to benefit the Shawn Koch Foundation.
The Prohibition-themed event, "The Speakeasy Throwback: A Summit of Local Spirit Producers & Chicago Chefs," was held on Aug. 5 in the Palmer House Hilton's legendary Empire Room (pictured, below). The Speakeasy Throwback was created to raise funds for a local charity benefiting former beverage manager Shawn Koch, who has been fighting an unusual type of brain cancer. A silent auction, live music, tasty rations and a grand bathtub lavished to the brim with spirits were just some of the evening’s highlights. Tickets sold for $95 per person.
Top Chicagoland distilleries that participated in the Speakeasy Throwback included Koval Distillery, North Shore Distillery, Death's Door Spirits, Templeton Rye, Hum Botanical Spirits, as well as Rare Tea Cellar. Each beverage station was equipped with a complementing chef; some participating chefs were Frank Brunacci of Sixteen, Curtis Duffy of Avenues, Dave Carrier of Kith & Kin, Mike Sheerin of Blackbird, Andrew Zimmerman of Sepia, Jerome Landrieu of Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy, Stephanie Izard of Girl and the Goat, plus more, including Foss.
Collectively, these chefs and distilleries presented patrons with a variety of savory and sweet morsels matched together with their ideal cocktail. The evening brought together food and beverage enthusiasts with the opportunity to enjoy the talents of multiple prestigious chefs and beverage producers together under one roof while supporting one of their own. Donations can still be made today by visiting www.caringbridge.org/visit/shawnkoch.
Food Marketing Institute (FMI) has promoted Patrick J. Walsh to senior vice president of industry relations, education and research.
Walsh, who has been with FMI for 11 years, previously was vice president of industry collaboration and education. Prior to joining FMI, he was director of corporate electronic marketing at Safeway in Pleasanton, Calif.
Pat has been instrumental in developing valuable programs for our members," said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO at FMI, in a statement. "He has spent his entire career in the retail and fast-moving consumer goods industry. His experience has proven to be a great asset, as Pat has a wonderful ability to establish industry partnerships and implement new initiatives that benefit all of our members."
For more information about FMI, visit www.fmi.org.
Nearly 12,000 restaurant and foodservice industry professionals from California attended the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo, which took place Aug. 14 to 16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event, sponsored by the California Restaurant Association (CRA), was co-located with Expo Comida Latina, showcasing the latest products for the Hispanic restaurant and retail market.
Among the event hightlights were:
The Innovative New Product Gallery. Here, the newest and most innovative products were introduced into the marketplace. The first place People's Choice winner selected by attendees was EarthKare Packaging Innovations for its portable cup with integrated lid that locks into place. The second-place winner was Winco for its professional induction cooker. Third place went to Frextr for its mobile texting service.
Raising funds for ProStart. U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina met with ProStart students from Santee Education Complex in Los Angeles during her visit to the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo. Fiorina also made a donation to the CRA Education Foundation. During the Expo, CRAEF raised more than $10,000.
Feeding the hungry. At the close of the show, the exhibitors of the Western Foodservice Expo and Expo Comida Latina donated 10,000 pounds of food to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The Food Bank provides food for nearly 900 member agency sites.
New Solutions Center. A highlighted feature on the show floor, the New Solutions Center offered educational content focused on food, marketing, operations, beverages, management and strategy. Attendees crowded in to learn about such topics as the 10 most common hiring mistakes, advice from Yelp, how to recruit and hire and online marketing strategies.
Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum. Attendees received free education at the Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum with sessions such as "Hottest Trends in Restaurant Nutrition," which offered educational and networking sessions with experts that shared innovative practices and how to capitalize on offering healthy options (presented by www.healthydiningfinder.com); and the "Women in Foodservice Education" session, moderated by Kathleen Wood, of Kathleen Wood Partners, who discussed the key secrets to professional growth for women in foodservice.
Top names in L.A. dining weigh in. Top professionals in Los Angeles participated in a panel on what's next in fine-dining. Among the names were Brendan Collins, chef/proprietor of Waterloo & City; 2 star Michelin chef Josiah Citrin of Melisse; Sherry Yard, two-time James Beard winner and executive pastry chef for Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining; and Warren Schwartz, chef of Westside Tavern.
Next year's Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo will take place Aug. 28 to 30 at the San Diego Convention Center.
by Maggie Shea, Chef Magazine
Summer may be winding down, but there are still plenty of diners looking to capitalize on al fresco dining and cocktails before the first frost hits. Here Chef has rounded up some beverages to serve up ice-cold alongside small plates or a refreshing salad, as well as a few products for enhancing cool cocktails and mocktails in the dog days of summer.
This spring, EWG Spirits & Wine debuted L'Esprit De June (June), the world's first vine-flower liqueur. Made in the heart of the Cognac region of France, this elegant new spirit captures the fragrance of French grape vines, which flower for just three to five days during the month of June. L'Esprit de June is a blend of carefully selected ephemeral vine flowers from Ugni Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and other grapes. The flowers are swiftly handpicked and prepared with a grape spirit base. An exciting new tool for mixologists, June complements the flavor profiles of a variety of other spirits, including gin, whiskey, vodka and champagne. Visit www.eurowinegate.com.
Real Sangria, the producers who brought you Real Sangria Red, have recently introduced Real Sangria White to the U.S. market. Real Sangria's latest introduction is a wonderful blend of natural citrus fruit flavors and fine Spanish white wine. Light-bodied, fruity and refreshing, it is ideal for serving chilled in a pitcher on the restaurant patio or pouring alongside a light appetizer of tapas. Real Sangria White can also be incorporated into a variety of thirst-quenching recipes along with fresh juices, fruit and a variety of spirits. Visit www.real-sangria.com.
Restaurants can now serve organic unsweetened iced tea without having to brew it in-house. B.W. Cooper's Organic Unsweetened Iced Brew Tea is the first bag-in-box (BIB) tea on the market made with organic tea leaves. It received USDA organic certification earlier this year. It is brewed, concentrated using a proprietary process, and then packaged in a convenient BIB format for easy use by the foodservice industry. BIB teas offers several operational benefits: no labor required to brew tea, no need to throw away stale tea, no need to brew additional tea during the rush hour, flexible dispensing options and enhanced food safety. Visit www.coopertea.com to learn more.
Monin Gourmet Flavorings, a leading provider of premium syrups and flavoring products, has introduced a smooth, classic European style bitters that offers wide taste appeal. A staple bar ingredient, bitters has been used to accent cocktails since the 1800s and is staging a comeback in bars and restaurants across the country. Monin Bitters has an herbal aroma and flavor with fruity notes and is lightly sweet with cherry undertones. Monin also offers over 200 specialty syrup, sauce and puréed products designed to add flavor and profit. Visit www.monin.com.
Two Leaves and a Bud tea company recently introduced a new iced tea program for restaurants and cafés featuring three teas that are just as richly flavored as its award-winning line of whole leaf tea sachets. Organic Black Iced Tea, Alpine Berry Herbal Iced Tea and the newest addition, Organic Tropical Green Ice Tea, are all available in 1-ounce filter bags and 3-ounce loose tea packets, for brewing 1 gallon or 3 gallons of iced tea, respectively. The three teas suit a variety of tastes. Organic Black Iced Tea is smooth and well-balanced, Alpine Berry Herbal Iced Tea has a refreshingly fruity taste without caffeine, and the new Organic Tropical Green Iced Tea has a tart green tea flavor mellowed out with the taste of goji berries for a smooth sweetness. For point-of-sale promotion, Two Leaves and a Bud also offers table tents as well as waterproof stickers for iced tea dispensers and pitchers. These stickers are unique to each variety of tea available. Visit www.twoleavesandabud.com.
Jan Marie Chesterton, president of the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA), has been named to the board of directors for the International Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Show (IHMRS).
The nine-member board of directors also includes Joseph Spinnato, president, Hotel Association of New York City; Joe McInerney, president and CEO, American Hotel & Lodging Association; Vijay Dandapani, COO, Apple Core Hotels; John Fitzpatrick, CEO North America, Fitzpatrick Hotel Group; Michael Hoffman, president, Turf Hotels; Pedro Mandoki, CHA, president, Mandoki Hospitality Group; Anthony Mangano, CHA, vice president, Syramada Hotel Corp.; and John Russell, CEO, NYLO Hotels LLC.
The next edition of IHMRS will take place Nov. 13 to 16 at the Javits Center in New York City. For more information, visit www.ihmrs.com.
Foodservice operators can save up to $150 by participating in the Marzetti Italian Celebration, a fall promotion from Marzetti Foodservice that will run Sept. 1 to Oct. 31. To qualify, operators must purchase items from two of the three Italian Celebration categories: Marzetti Italian Dressings, New York Brand Frozen Bread or Marzetti Frozen Pasta.
Participating operators can save on dressings in gallon or 1.5-oz. packet sizes, New York Brand frozen hearth-baked garlic breadsticks, garlic toast or mini garlic toast, or Marzetti Frozen Pasta brand frozen, fully-cooked fettuccini, cheese tortellini, penne, rigati, tri-color rotini, spaghetti and lasagna cheese rollups.
For more information, the participation form can be downloaded by visiting www.marzettifoodservice.com/
foodservice_solutions/specialoffers.php.
Barry Callebaut is calling on all culinary professionals and students to submit their best recipes using the Cacao Barry brand in the 2010 L'art du Chocolatier Challenge. The grand prize in the professional category is $10,000 in cash, $1,000 in Cacao Barry product and a feature in a renowned culinary publication.
Contestants have until Nov. 30 to submit up to 10 recipes incorporating Cacao Barry chocolate at www.lartduchocolatier.com Barry Callebaut will select finalists in both the professional and student categories to be flown to Chicago to recreate their recipes at the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy the week of Jan. 10, 2011. For official contest rules and entry form, visit www.lartduchocolatier.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.
Due to soft sales and traffic levels and a deteriorating outlook among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association's (NRA) Restaurant Performance Index (RPI), which tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry, fell 0.1 percent from June to reach 99.4 in July. This is the third consecutive month the RPI stood below 100.
