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April 2015 Newsletter

Apr 21, 2015

Greetings!

It wasn’t so long ago that a number of operators banned “foodstagramming” in their restaurants (of course, some still encourage guests to turn off their cell phones when they’re dining).

Now, of course, most have either embraced Instagram or given in to the fact that certain people will take pictures of their food no matter what. But there’s no denying that the food porn trend goes beyond simple photography—in fact, it could be argued that Instagram and all the other social media are accelerating what is already the crazy-fast adoption of new food trends. And there’s also the ever-present danger of chefs and customers alike focusing (get it?) so much on picture-taking that they forget about how it tastes, or even tasting their food at all. Read the article on restaurateuring in the age of Instagram for additional perspective.

It could also be argued that the whole Bone Broth thing is also a function of social media and its tendency to make this a business of food fetishists. If you want to get on board, our culinary development associate Justin Braly shares a recipe for simple chicken (bone) broth.

And speaking of trends, there’s one that simply shows no sign of being over: better burgers, always and ever. We’ve got 15 different ways to tap it.
To your success,


In the Age of Instagram

By Joan Lang, Editorial Director

 

If it seems like one minute a restaurant has a certain thing on the menu and two weeks later everyone else has the exact same thing, you’re not imagining it. And it’s not just the foodie press and bloggers and the Food Network. It’s Instagram.

A picture is worth 1,000 words, and food pictures on Instagram say it all: what’s in a dish, what the diner thinks of it, and exactly what it looks like. And that makes this business more competitive than ever.

Or call it the age of food fetishes, and the Cronut was just the start. Thanks to social media—in particular the picture power of Instagram—food trends are now spreading, fully formed, with lightning speed. They’re being hatched, and then they’re being replaced almost as quickly.

Another cheese and meat board—really? More roasted Brussels sprouts with fish sauce replaced by more kale Caesar salads supplanted by more seared cauliflower steaks and now it’s Avocado Toast? Yes, indeed.

There are lots of other implications, besides menus becoming increasingly similar.

As far as Instagram goes, restaurateurs need to decide whether they’re “fer it or agin it” (a policymaking conundrum that not surprisingly tends to split along Millennial lines). As of now, more operators appear to be agin it, or at least not on board, as a recent Smart Brief poll showed the great majority of respondents either not using Instagram or not knowing how to leverage it.

A nice-looking plate is now called “Instagram-worthy” by both guests and reviewers. Can you say “focus on presentation”?

Instagrammers have become the new bloggers, reaping fame and contracts from their posts. And we all know how influential the blogosphere became to the restaurant industry.

Everyone wants to know how to take better Instagram photos, now that they have that fancy iPhone. (We may need to consider changing the lighting to facilitate picture-taking—or anticipate more early-bird specials or growth in the breakfast daypart, just because natural daylight is almost always better.)

Last but certainly not least, savvy marketers are turning to the medium to get their message across.

• Applebee’s has, among other things, turned its Instagram account over to its fans for a year in order to gather user-generated content aimed at helping the aging brand establish its standing as the go-to hangout spot

• Chefs and independents who use Instagram often end up on Must Follow lists that invite more followers (and potential customers) by the hundreds

• Taco Bell uses Instagram very effectively to promote new menu-item launches and LTOs

• Frank Prisinzano, the outspoken chef-owner behind a number of popular New York restaurants, has used his account to critique his own restaurants—getting lots of attention in the process

• Domino’s old sign/new sign “scavenger hunt” has helped draw attention to the chain’s rebranding efforts

• Zoe Nathan Loeb is using her proximity to beautiful food to promote both her restaurants and her new cookbook

Using Instagram needn’t be a big involved campaign. Even something as simple as posting photos of the days specials or inviting fans to post selfies taken in your restaurant can reap beautiful rewards.


The Bone Broth Boom

By Justin Braly, Culinary Development

Whether you call it stock, consommé, brodo or broth, there is no mistaking that the bone broth craze is upon us. Bone broth is heralded for its beneficial nutrients such as collagen (good for hair and nails), glucosamine (great for joint health) and glycine (which is great for removing toxins), but what exactly is it this delicious yet simple elixir?

Bone broth, in theory, is as simple as it gets. Broth by definition is soup consisting of meat or vegetable chunks, and often rice, cooked in stock, and bone broth is even simpler. Bones, with little bits of meat still attached, are cooked with any assortment of vegetables and aromatics for upwards of 24 hours—much longer than most recipes call for—in simmering water until the bones release their collagen and nutrients. This mixture is skimmed of fat regularly as it cooks and strained through a fine mesh sieve when it’s finished… voila! You have bone broth, which has become a cornerstone of the Paleo diet.

The amount of blog posts and websites dedicated to bone broth is astonishing, and small towns even seem to boast at least one person at the farmers market peddling this magical elixir, noting that their broth will change your health for the better. But in major cities, the craze is even bigger. In New York, chef Marco Canora may have started the craze with Brodo: A walk-up window that sells piping hot cups of broth (in three different sizes) to hungry customers in the morning, daring them to “rethink their hot beverage.” In San Francisco, there are at least six places selling “liquid gold.” Will bone broth rival Starbucks one day? Probably not, but maybe instead of a morning juice or afternoon cuppa, people will gravitate towards broth for their nutrients and vitamins.

Like all trends, bone broth has many different iterations. Restaurateurs, chefs and bartenders are taking advantage of the bone broth trend, because if it’s hip consumers will buy it, even in a cocktail format. At Los Angeles’ Pistola you can get “From the Kitchen With Love,” a $22 bone broth cocktail consisting of six ounces of lamb consommé plus two ounces of Glenlivet 15. Consider it a play on French Onion Soup.

While I don’t see the broth cocktail scene taking off, bone broth for kitchen use will stick around, so why not make your own? This recipe for Chicken Bone Broth is a great place to start.

Chicken Bone Broth:

5 lb. chicken bones
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 gal. cold water (enough to cover the ingredients)
2 medium yellow onions, roots cut off and halved
4-5 carrots, washed and cut in half
6-8 celery stalks, washed and cut into thirds
6-8 cloves of garlic
1 bundle thyme (fresh)
3 bay leaves (fresh)
1 tsp. salt

1. Place chicken bones in a large stock pot. Add apple cider vinegar and water to cover the bones.
2. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to keep a low simmer for 24 hours. Stir once or twice in the first few hours, and then a few times for the duration of your simmer, adding additional water as needed.
3. After 24 hours add the vegetables, garlic, salt, thyme and bay leaves to the pot. Increase heat to bring back up to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
4. Cook for 8 hours longer, stirring every hour or so. Let simmer with lid off for the last 2 hours.
5. Strain all ingredients by pouring bone broth from one pot to another through a colander or strainer.


15 Shades of Burger

By Joan Lang, Editorial Director

 

Quick: What’s one of the most successful and enduringly popular menu items in all the restaurant universe, from mainstream fast food chains to destination dining? What can guests never seem to get enough of? What inspires cult followings and seemingly endless creativity? And what has nearly every revered chef in this country tried a hand at?

Although its exact origins are shrouded in late 19th century obscurity, the hamburger has emerged as one of the iconic pleasures of American dining, and a bulwark of the restaurant menu. From circa-1921 White Castle “belly bombers” to db Bistro Moderne, with its game-changing Original db Burger (a $35 sirloin burger filled with braised short ribs, foie gras and black truffle Parmesan bun, first introduced in 2001), there’s almost nothing that can’t be done to and with a burger.

No wonder sales of burgers keep growing—in 2014, according to NPD, the number of hamburgers sold increased 3%, in part because rising beef prices incented more restaurants to add them and more customers to order them.

Stuffed

Packing a tasty bite of something in the middle of an otherwise traditional patty adds not only flavor and juiciness, but it’s also a surprise for the guest and an operational advantage for the house because it keeps messy, melty ingredients like cheese or foie gras off the griddle. And you can stuff a burger with everything from blue cheese or Brie, to caramelized onions, chutney, salsa, olives, chili, sausage or even a fried egg.

Old-School

Although there’s a great deal of debate about what constitutes a “classic” hamburger—that’s the whole point of this article, after all—after several years of burger one-upsmanship there seems to be a move back to a style of burger that’s traditional, but elevated. That means juicy, well-seasoned meat, traditional condiments and toppings like tomato and mayonnaise, old-school American cheese, and a fresh, slightly squishy bun that soaks up all the juices. No elk meat, no kimchi, no lavash flatbread: just best-in-class technique and ingredients.

Mini

Ah, the slider. These fun little mini-burgers made it possible to put the popular overstuffed sandwich on a small plates menu, and spawned dozens of different variations from pulled pork to fried chicken. The Slider House, in Nashville, has one of everything, and guests can mix and match two or three choices with a side for $8.99 or $11.99 respectively. Sliders have also become increasingly popular as bar snacks, as in the two different formulations of Cheeseburger Sliders tucked among the wings and quesadillas on the Snacktime menu at TGI Friday’s.

Blended

Short rib and sirloin. Brisket and filet. Seeking the perfect ratio of fat to lean, flavor to tenderness, burgermeisters are writing special specs for burgers—half of them, it seems, from butcher-to-the-stars Pat LaFrieda. That and sobriquets like “never frozen,” “handcrafted” and “ground in house” are the earmarks of the quality meat trend that’s sweeping the better burger movement. The famous cheeseburger at Husk takes much of its savor from Benton’s bacon ground in with the chuck and flank

Smashed

Differing schools of thought abound on how to cook a burger, and along with grilled vs. griddled and thick vs. thin, there’s the ongoing controversy of minimal compressing on the grill vs. smashing that puppy down with the spatula til the juices sizzle. We’re talking Smashburger, among others, which promises burgers that are “Smashed Fresh. Served Delicious.” Proponents claim the technique of smashing a meatball-thick patty down on the griddle creates plenty of surface and thin edges that pick up a tasty, crisp char. Shake Shack also smashes its burgers, on a Miraclean griddle, which not only builds flavor but allows the meat to cook more quickly.

Other Meats

Though the great majority of hamburgers are probably made with ground beef, there are all kinds of other meats that can be used to make a signature burger, including turkey, pork and lamb, as well as bison, buffalo and more unusual meats. The Breslin Bar & Dining Room, in New York City, has quickly become famous for its chargrilled lamb burger, which picks up additional Greek accents from the addition of feta cheese and cumin mayonnaise. A menu favorite at Tavern in Los Angeles is the Pork Pork Pork Burger, made with ground pork, bacon and chorizo finished with Manchego cheese and romesco sauce on a brioche bun. And Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks, based in Southern California, invites guests to substitute a turkey patty for any of its burgers.

Fish

Here’s a category that tells you how far the “burger” definition has traveled, with patties made from crab meat, ground tuna or salmon, and shrimp. Fishburgers are great for operations because they can be made with non-premium product, including trim, the thin ends of a salmon filet, or broken shrimp, allowing guests to enjoy a luxury ingredient at an affordable price point. Burgers made with seafood have a low-fat, high-protein nutritional profile that appeals to health-conscious diners who still want the indulgence of a “burger.” The neutral flavor and soft texture of fish also take well to ingredients that wouldn’t work with beef—like the Asian Ahi Tuna Burger served rare with Asian slaw and wasabi dressing at Lazy Dog, which has 16 locations in ahi-crazy Southern California.

Ethnic

The hamburger may not actually exist in Korea, but the kimchi burger has certainly caught on here. Fusion mashup
BopNGrill, in Chicago, has other signature burgers that call to mind other ethnic specialties, including the Pizza Burger (topped with mozzarella sticks, marinara, American, Parmesan, and caramelized onions), Bavarian (pretzel bun, sharp cheddar, caramelized onions, bacon, Dusseldorf mustard) and Hawaiian-esque Loco (fried egg, short-rib gravy, caramelized onions, bacon, sharp cheddar).

Top-of-the-Line

The Original db Burger notwithstanding, restaurateurs and chefs have been trying to outdo each other with the most expensive or most luxurious burgers for years, using ingredients like Wagyu beef, truffles (even Smashburger has a truffled menu entry), lobster, wild mushrooms and even a bottle of Chateau Petrus (served on the side). Not surprisingly, many of these burgers can be had in Las Vegas, but a clutch of upscale restaurants in San Francisco are serving more-ish versions of sliders, like the escargot patties topped with foie gras on the menu at Bisou Bistronomy.

Over the Top

Size and variety also make an impression with burger fans. Chomp Kitchen and Drinks in Warren, RI, has amassed a cult following for its over-the-top Stack Burger 3.0, a towering assemblage consisting of a beef patty with American cheese, spicy fried chicken with smoked gouda, smoked BBQ beef, bacon, ranch dressing, and onion jam with lettuce and tomato. And three-location Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar features an extensive menu that includes 19 different burgers plus additions and substitutions ranging from six different breads to sake-marinated sauerkraut.

Regional

There are regional sandwiches, and regional sodas, so no surprise that burgers come in regional styles, too. In Northeastern Mississippi, for instance, the ground beef is mixed with flour and soy meal and fried, to create something called a Slugburger, while the Deep South is home the Pimento Cheeseburger, a tasty conglomeration that has recently gone trendy outside of its native habitat, as at the new ABV in the Mission District of San Francisco.

Vegetarian

There are veggie burgers and there are veggie burgers, and lately restaurants are catering to guests who avoid meat but crave burgers with versions made from soy, nuts, grains, ground vegetables, and other tasty concoctions. Oshi Burger Bar, part of the Jeff Johnson Restaurant Group in Memphis calls its organic veggie burger the Conscientious Objector, topping it with tomato, crushed avocado, red onion, Swiss, lettuce and burger sauce. Michael Mina makes a Fava Bean Falafel Burger with Gamble Creek Farms organic cucumber yogurt, tomato confit and tahini at Locale Market in St. Petersburg, FL. Even White Castle has a Veggie Slider.

Grass-Fed

Socially conscious sourcing is big in the burger segment, with antibiotic-free and grass-free meat a centerpiece of many business plans. For higher-end independents, many with chain aspirations, grass-fed and local beef is the way to go. Crave Real Burgers, with three locations in Colorado, works with local ranchers for its beef. Breakaway Café, in Sonoma, CA, sources its organic pastured beef from SunFed Ranch. The Burger Lounge chain has been selling grass-fed burgers, local produce and a green lifestyle since 2007. But now even Carl’s Jr. has jumped on the bandwagon with an all-natural, grass-fed offering.

DIY

The Counter was arguably at the forefront of the customizable menu item trend—burger or otherwise—back in 2003 and it’s still going strong, with locations all over nine states plus Ireland, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. With a mix-and-match selection of patty meats and sizes, breads, cheese, toppings and sauces, the concept touts a possible 312,120+ different burger combinations, “unique to each customer,” plus dozens of already-designed options. Of course, it’s easy for just about any restaurant to offer a DIY options: just look at Friendly’s.

Patty Melt

Thanks to the unending popularity of classic American comfort food, it stands to reason that the patty melt would also get the better burger treatment—and the trending success of both grilled cheese sandwiches and artisanal toast hasn’t hurt. Hardee’s Bacon Velveeta Patty Meltdown is in-your-face retro, but the new Snappy Pattys, in Medford, MA, delivers “upscale contemporary American food” including a sixsome of signature patty melt sliders made with grass-fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef with scratch-made sauces on house-baked olive oil brioche.


Tip of the Month

Want more advice and ideas for using Instagram? Check out these articles from the National Restaurant Association, F&B Kibbutz, and Pizza magazine.

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September 2014 Newsletter

Sep 30, 2014

Greetings!

The news that July restaurant sales declined and operators are feeling less-than-optimistic about the future is giving everyone a bit of pause about the “recovery.” Rising food prices and concern about new minimum wage requirements are also giving the restaurant industry a case of the jitters. Expect more coverage on these key issues in the months to come.
The bottom line? Now is the time to double down and strengthen your business. As our associate Clyde Gilfillan argues in his excellent article on strategic planning, getting the entire organization moving in the same direction is more important than ever.

Operators also need to focus on the core basics of food, service and customer engagement, using whatever tactics it takes to get patrons in the door and to build guest loyalty once they’re there. One way you can do this is by avoiding these 12 common customer turnoffs.

Let us know if Synergy Restaurant Consultants can help you in any way.

To your success, Dean Small and Danny Bendas


Time: The CEO’s Best Friend

By J. Clyde Gilfillan, Synergy Restaurant Consultants

Time—hard to hold, hard to manage, relentless, ever pressing forward, and the one item that we can never replace. To the CEO, time is not just a valuable commodity; it’s an essential element to that ever-elusive goal of “success.” Time seems to be the most attractive, most exotic leadership skill to manage, yet we often don’t treat it as such.

We have time management books, monthly/weekly/daily planners, project management software. Speakers, authors, experts, whole companies devoted to this single aspect of leadership resourcefulness, all out to teach us how to keep time from essentially slipping away. Why? What’s happening to us? What’s preventing us from “staying focused”? The basic reason lies in the lack of strategic planning skills at all levels of management—at least, effective and efficient strategic and tactical planning.

Oftentimes, middle and/or lower-level managers are given priorities and asked to get results now. They are not given measurable/actionable/specific goals or objectives with both well-thought-out and agreed-upon strategies and, perhaps most importantly, tactics. Whatever is most important now is what is most important now it seems. The issue is that priorities shift and focus changes. Unfortunately, it is at this level of management that action, results, and accountability are at a premium. In other words, this is where the stuff gets done.

So how do we manage time? How do we stay focused and put “first things first” with our team? How do we get the job done throughout the organization? The answer lies in effective planning and the working of that plan: understanding the planning process, setting of common S.M.A.R.T. objectives, successful communication of the plan throughout the organization and/or department, and reaping the rewards of mentoring/coaching the progression.
The foundations of world-class planning are laid in:

STRATEGY

• Vision – The optimal result to be achieved over time; it provides the guidance and inspiration to focus on reaching the end goal; the proverbial “North Star” for everyone to understand their work and its contribution to the end game. Vision must be first and foremost, well-thought-out and clearly communicated.

S.M.A.R.T. Objectives – Objectives are narrow, precise, concrete, and measurable. Goals are different; they are broader, more general, abstract. Leaders work with objectives while keeping end goals in mind. If the techniques of S.M.A.R.T objectives are used (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based), they work very effectively. Why make people guess? Be very clear.

Distinct Pathways – Leadership must provide the pathways to seeing the vision and its resulting rewards while shaping the course used to achieve the objectives. Pathways can include tools and techniques such as Gantt project management and time management planners as well as coaching the progress. Pathways direct where the objective lies.

Asking and answering the important questions relating to these strategic foundations is highly important to anchoring the process. The corresponding questions that must be asked and answered to effect the process and put the plan into perspective:

Vision – WHY are we doing this? You must answer this question first. Without a satisfactory and agreed-upon answer, then the plan and process is moot.

Goals/Objectives – WHAT are we trying to achieve? Defined again by the dichotomy between goals and objectives, the end game must be in view and attainable. Be general with goals, but very specific with objectives.

Pathways – WHERE are we going? Illumination of the course, the passageway to the objectives, is a vital step in getting everyone moving in the same direction.

TACTICS

Activities and Tasks: The steps necessary to move the strategy forward, often mistakenly referred to as “To-Do’s.” Outlining the tasks and activities to be taken before movement is the main ingredient in the tactical recipe. Devised in order of importance and implemented in order of dependence, tasks guide us in the minutia of the overall plan.

Resources: Personnel needed, tools provided, education necessary. Gather the resources, lay out the needs, and indicate the requirements of the tasks ahead in order to match resources to the skill sets essential to meeting targeted objectives.

Logistics: This is where we delineate the deadlines and time schedules devoted to the objectives. With the tasks defined and the resources outlined, adherence to agreed-upon time mandates becomes the linchpin in our planning process. This is the final key to achieving results and keeping time on your side instead of discouragingly watching it continue on its inexorable march.

Coming full circle, world-class results are directly tied to a CEO’s ability to relate time, process, and achievement of objectives to the vision of the organization, the department, or the field unit. Using effective planning will move the needle of your organization. It takes time, patience, and coaching/mentoring, but the alternative is time wasted. Moreover, time is the one commodity we cannot replace. Planning the work and working the plan – that is a CEO’s best friend.


 


Avoid These Guest Turnoffs

By Joan Lang

It’s official: Americans are in the midst of a full-blown food fetish. This is great news for restaurants, but it’s also true that with increasing sophistication comes an increasingly demanding diner.

If it seems like more people are complaining nowadays, they probably are. In the past, bad restaurant news came in two forms: bad print reviews, and bad word-of-mouth. The hand-in-hand rise of foodie culture and the online community have changed everything. Today’s diners—whether they are bloggers, professional food writers, or just people who like to go out to eat—have many different forums for expressing their likes and dislikes, and that represents both an opportunity and a challenge.

We’ve covered Yelp and other citizen review sites in this newsletter in the past, but no matter what you think of this growing trend to consumer empowerment, you should be reading your reviews to find out what your guests legitimately don’t like about your restaurants.

There are also some common points of dissatisfaction that are emerging about the restaurant universe in general—just take a look at this recent no-holds-barred rant from Eater San Francisco, where the reader comments are as enlightening as the writers’ list of grievances about what they think restaurants are doing wrong.

We’ve compiled a cheat sheet of some of the complaints that keep rising to the surface, from sources of all kinds. Pay attention, since many of these issues also address problems that can affect sales.

1. Obvious upselling and overselling. Guests know when they are being played for bigger checks. There are ways to build sales without putting pressure on customers or making them feel like they’re cheapskates if they say no

2. Bad service. This is a big one, time and time again, from seemingly little things like not facing a beer bottle label to the guest to major snafus such as mixing up an order. This article on “35 Things Restaurant Servers Do Wrong” should be required reading for anyone who is responsible for server training

3. On a related note, servers who don’t know the menu. Front-of-the-house staff should be familiar with every item that’s on the menu, including specials, so they can answer guests’ questions and steer them to the best possible experience. Savvy restaurateurs with ambitious beverage selections even put their servers through bartender training so they can assist guests with their wine, beer and cocktail choices

4. Taking guest favorites off the menu without thinking it through very, very carefully—and maybe making other arrangements, like offering a discontinued item as a special or letting regulars know they can still order it off-menu. After all, according to National Restaurant Association research, “favorite menu items” are a prime reason many people go out to eat at a particular restaurant

5. Using industry lingo. Discussing the “wine program” with anyone but a colleague or telling a guest that you can’t sit two people at a “four top” or that the pasta has been “86’d” is just bad manners

6. Wobbly tables and uncomfortable chairs. Enough said

7. Not making your current menu available online. Looking at the menu is one important way potential guests make their dining-out decisions. If at all possible, put the menu on your website and make sure it’s current, to avoid disappointment. If your menu changes so often that it doesn’t make sense to put it on your website, it can at least be on Facebook. And always include prices

8. Bad disability etiquette. In many locations, accessibility is the law, but there’s more to making all guests feel welcome than properly spaced tables. Accommodations like Braille menus, printed rather than verbal specials sheets, and server training also make good business sense

9. Not being prepared for a service you offer. It’s great to offer delivery, online ordering and other guest conveniences, but your infrastructure needs to be able to handle them. That means technology, staffing, staff training, operational adjustments and much, much more

10. Refusing to consider special requests. Within reason, service and kitchen staff should be willing to accommodate not only vegans, vegetarians, and customers with gluten and other food allergies, but also requests to leave out the green pepper. Yes, customers may have become hyperfussy, but we should never lose sight of the fact that these are our guests

11. Noise. There’s a difference between a lively atmosphere and a restaurant where guests can’t hear each other—and there’s a sentiment that unwanted noise is getting worse. With more casual concepts come harder surfaces—wood floors instead of carpet, bare tabletops instead of cloths—plus music, bar noise and other distractions. Use soundproofing, design and other techniques to avoid or fix the problem

12. Lack of cleanliness. Whether it’s the silverware, the tables or the bathroom, guests notice when things aren’t clean. Things may start out spic-and-span, but during the course of a busy shift the situation can degrade quickly. Make sure your dishwashing capabilities are up to snuff—including keeping your dishwasher happy —and your front-of-house staff has enough hands to bus and reset tables correctly. As for the bathrooms, they should be inspected regularly and attended to promptly. And while you’re at it, check the floors in all public areas for spills, dropped paper and linens, and other detritus

If you need help addressing any of the problems introduced in this article, contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants.


Protein Power

Whether your guests are following the Paleo diet or just minding their nutritional P’s and Q’s, protein has become a real selling point on menus. According to data from NPD, “high-protein” is now equated with healthy. This stands to reason after decades of carb-phobia, first at the hands of Dr. Atkins, and most recently because of the gluten-free trend. The science of sports nutrition may also lie behind the demand for protein. Then, too, there’s the increasing availability of heirloom and ethically raised meats to consider.

Arby’s new Meat Mountain sandwich says it all. First conceived as a promotional stunt to herald the erstwhile roast beef chain’s new “We Have the Meats” positioning, the eight-meat (and two-cheese) fantasy sandwich got so many customer requests that the item will be actually served.

According to Packaged Facts, 62% of consumers are looking to eat more protein, a trend that promises opportunity for manufacturers and foodservice operators alike—the so-called protein craze has even hit supermarket bagged salads. And fortunately for vegetarians, the word is out that there are plenty of non-meat sources of protein, including not only eggs and cheese but also hearty and nutritious grains, seeds, nuts, beans and legumes.

Not surprisingly, high-protein foods are showing up on more restaurant menus, despite the high food costs associated with most meats, and people seem willing to pay for them. Fatburger has introduced its Double Down “protein-style” bunless burger. Taco Bell is overhauling its Cantina platform with bowls and burritos that tout 20 grams of protein in a 500-calorie-and-under package.

Roaring Bowl, in Seattle, brings the traditional protein-laden Japanese specialty shabu-shabu into the 21st century. Hitting all the contemporary high notes, Roaring Bowl offers an interactive dining experience (check) that allows guests to customize their meals (check) with a DIY menu (check) of bowls, plates and salad (check) that can be topped with such high-quality, eco-conscious ingredients (check) as Kurobuta pork belly and Painted Hills beef, plus lots and lots of fresh vegetables (ditto). Craft beers, soju and sake (check) round out the bill of sale.

Meanwhile, next-wave steakhouses like Union Common, in Nashville, are pushing the bounds of meat-centric menus with a selection that includes a variety of different signature steaks—Duck Fat Roasted Filet with black garlic butter; steak frites; an aged ribeye with citrus gremolata—as well as a full raw bar and chilled seafood. The list of appetizers is unusually complete, offering such small plates as Roasted Bone Marrow, Lobster Nuggets and several different cheeses. The pricing structure supports the notion that while food costs on aged beef and other premium meats may be well above the 30-35% target range, profit margins on a $17 appetizer or $65 steak are apt to be very good indeed.

Another theme is the roast house, specializing in the kind of “large format” roasted and rotisseried meats whose popularity may have started as a backlash to the small plates trend. In Chicago, there’s Tony Mantuano’s new River Roast, with a live-fire menu featuring roast beef (priced per 8-oz. serving), wood-smoked whole chicken, and a $42 whole fish of the day—all carved at tableside and meant for sharing. “Table Snacks,” oysters, charcuterie, and lots and lots of side dishes (including Yorkshire pudding) round out the family-style meatfest feeling.

And then there’s the new crop of restaurants whose very names hold promise of meaty pleasures. Beast & Ale, for instance, in Philadelphia, is the Feliz Mexican restaurant group’s foray into the gastropub market. The self-styled “updated greasy spoon” menu is inspired by Philadelphia’s old-school beef and ale tradition, including the namesake double-patty Beast Burger as well as Steak “Poupard” (the flatiron cut, served with caramelized onion and potato hash and a fried egg), Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and even a Fried Bologna Sandwich. Décor is by the way of both natural and gold-emblazoned taxidermy, to further drive home the beast metaphor.

Could a more gender-neutral revival of the Beefsteak Club be far behind?


Tip of the Month

For more information about what annoys restaurant guests, drill down into the “gripe-o-meter” from Consumer Reports.

 

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January 2014 Newsletter

Jan 21, 2014

Greetings!

It’s now officially time to be optimistic. According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurant traffic hit a five-month high in November, even before the busy holiday season, and the Current Situation Index (which measures trends in in traffic, same-store sales, labor and capital expenditures) hit its highest level in six months. That’s our story, anyway, and we’re stickin’ to it.

To celebrate the New Year, we join the growing legion of trend prognosticators with our own annual predictions for what’s the hotness in 2014, including all kinds of interesting things that are happening around protein, from chicken to Paleo diets to the urban barbecue phenomenon.
One area that continues to outperform all others is fast-casual, and in this month’s newsletter we also take a look at how such FC niche signifiers as customizable menu formats and upgraded ingredients are rapidly spreading into the world of pizza.

And senior operations associate Mark Ladisky shares three vital tactics for making your new restaurant opening successful-seeing as how everyone’s feeling so optimistic.

To your success, Dean Small and Danny Bendas

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Pizza’s New Era

By Joan Lang

It had to happen. Sandwiches have been upgraded, burgers have gone upscale, and now pizza is being reinvented in the uber-hot fast-casual vein, with better toppings, sleeker décor, fancier amenities—and lightning-fast cook times thanks to oven technologies both new and old.

If there were any doubt, check in on the new Pizzeria Locale concept being developed in partnership between restaurateurs Bobby Stuckey and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson and—you guessed it—Chipotle. With its mix-and-match menu of contemporary-style thin-crust Neapolitan pizzas, glass-enclosed prep kitchen and $7 price point, Pizzeria Locale aims to do for pizza what Chipotle did for tacos all these years ago. And they’re doing it in about two minutes flat.
They’re not the only ones.

Umami Burger founder Adam Fleischman was early to the party with 800 Degrees, which promises “a 250-year-old classic in 60 seconds or less” via the eponymous custom-built wood-fired stone-hearth ovens. The menu features four classic (including Margherita, of course) and 15 specialty pies (e.g., the sauceless Tartufo, featuring mushrooms, arugula, roasted garlic and truffled cheese), plus a create-your-own option with more than 40 a la carte proteins, cheeses and vegetable toppings). Small bites and salads—including four made with the cult-favorite burrata cheese—round out the bill of fare, along with tap wine and beer.

 

The self-service line is set up Subway-style, with a complete assembly line of mise en place; by the time a guest moves through the line, the pizza is cooked and can be taken to the table. The nascent chain, based in Los Angeles, is poised to open five units in New York City—where Umami Burger has already created a controversial sensation, and the local citizenry are fiercely loyal to their $1 fold-and-eat slices.
Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza (“Custom-Built Artisanal Pizzas”) calls it like it is—the company reports that 120 seconds and a “dedicated pizzasmith” are all it takes to satisfy the inner pizza artisan in all its guests, with dozens of choices of sauces and toppings. Online ordering means that the process is even “freakishly faster.” The concept was developed by Wetzel’s Pretzels founders Rick and Elise Wetzel, and a recent franchise agreement with Millennial Restaurant Group (a partnership between Rally’s founder Jim Patterson and franchise veteran Ulysses Bridgeman) hints that expansion will be speedy, too.
In fact, some of the most exciting potential developments in the fast-casual pizzeria niche are longstanding industry heavyweights. California Pizza Kitchen co-founders Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield are said to be developing their own mall-based version (just as CPK itself opens a new prototype).

 

Buffalo Wild Wings is the muscle and bucks behind PizzaRev (“Craft Your Own”), with its robust celebrity PR and social media profile as befits its Los Angeles-area roots. An easy-to-comprehend single menu price of $7.99 gets you either a DIY pie with unlimited toppings choices, or one of eight “Our Way” pizzas such as Margherita or White Mushroom; there’s also a $5.99 one-cheese option.

 

Matt Andrew, a co-founder of Moe’s Southwest Grill, spent more than two years developing the menu and business plan for Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint (“The Original Create Your Own Pizza Joint”). The five-year-old company is now in rapid franchise mode, with more than 150 units in 10 states and D.C., on the strength of its customizable pizza format. Guests choose among three different doughs (including gluten-free), six sauces, and more than 45 toppings; there are also signature pies along the lines of BBQ Chicken and Portabella Pesto for those who are leery of decision-making. And the company is also testing breakfast pizzas.
Uncle Maddio’s differs from some of its competition in that it aggressively targets families, not only with the entertainment of DIY pizzas made in full view, but also Art Camp, Kids’ Day on Saturdays, and active marketing of birthday parties, complete with appearances by “Chef Cou Cou.”

 

And then there’s three-year-old Pie Five Pizza Co., one of four concepts in the buffet-style Pizza Inn empire, which bills itself as “the first interactive pizza experience.” P5 touts over a million possible combinations, and has a particularly healthy program of LTOs which include seasonal favorites like Hatch Chili Pie; there are also a number of salads and three kinds of signature Cookie Pie desserts. A “Circle of Crust” loyalty program awards free pies and a half-birthday pizza-delivery amenity (yes, you read that right: half-birthday), as well as participation in double-points and other promotions.

 

For help developing your pizza concept—or any other restaurant idea—contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants.


 


Top 10 Trends for 2014

By Joan Lang
Here are our best guesses for some of the things we’ll be seeing more of in the coming year.

1. Poultry Takes Flight

With protein prices on the rise and chefs looking for something a bit different than burgers, short ribs, and pork and more pork, the pendulum is swinging toward chicken and other poultry. According to Food Genius, chicken is the most-featured protein in the super-hot sandwich and wrap category, at 83% and 80%, respectively. Examples include items like the Southwestern Baja Flatbread at KFC’s new eleven sister concept, and the Fried Chicken Sandwich with fried green tomatoes at Canele in Los Angeles. And in upscale restaurants, luxury chicken like Amish or Jidori varieties are showing up in dramatic preparations for two or more to share, such as the Chicken Under a Brick on the menu at Restaurant Marc Forgione in New York City.

2. DYI Customization

The Holy Grail of menu concepts today, especially in the booming fast-casual market? Mix-and-match options that allow guests the ultimate flexibility to design their own meal—and then do it again another way the next time.

Consider these relatively lesser-known brands from FastCasual.com’s 2013 list of “movers and shakers”:
Freakin’ Unbelievable Burgers – The BYOB (Build Your Burger) menu includes 6 “patty” options and more than 44 different free and premium toppings
Freebirds World Burrito – Standing up for “freedom” of choice where guests can design their own tacos, burritos, nachos and salads with different sizes, shells, formats, proteins and “freebie” toppings
Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill – Build Your Own Entrée concepts feature three platforms (pita, laffa or plate) and six proteins (including falafel, hummus and portabella mushrooms) with fresh veggies and sauces
Giardino Gourmet Salads – My Way salads offer six different greens, 35 fruits and vegetables, and enough nuts, seeds, cheeses, crouton options and dressings to last a lifetime,

3. Gluten Free = Healthy

Every few years the definition of what’s healthy on the menu changes a bit, from low-calorie to trans-fat-free and everything in between. This time around, the public pulse seems to be beating for gluten-free menu items—not just because of the number of diagnosed “celiacs,” but because so many Americans seem to be eschewing gluten. According to the NPD Group, in fact, as much as one-third of American consumers reports a desire to cut down on gluten, which has led to a tremendous increase in the number of gluten-free products in the marketplace. GrillIt, a “fresh authentic grill” chain based in Florida, exemplifies the trend, with a menu that boasts of being 90% gluten-free via options like grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, pasta and salads in the all-important mix-and-match format.

4. Modern Mashups

Forget about fusion food. This is a new generation of highly trained, multi-culti chefs who are combining ingredients, flavors and menu specialties in fun new ways that really resonate with today’s adventure-seeking diners. There’s hard-boiled eggs, feta and spicy tomato jam baked into bacon waffles at Waffle & Wolf, in Brooklyn. Spicy Tuna Nachos at Jogasaki Sushi Burrito, the L.A. area. And at Del Seoul in Chicago, sibling owners Pete and Irene Jeon have combined international street food traditions to create a menu of Korean BBQ tacos, kimchee French fries and Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches with fillings like soy-sochu marinated ribeye steak.

 

Jogasaki Truck/Spicy Salmon Sushi Burrito | Photo Credit: License CC by 2.0 Copyright Flickr User punctuated
Jogasaki Truck/Spicy Salmon Sushi Burrito | Photo Credit: License CC by 2.0 Copyright Flickr User punctuated

5. Vegetable-Centric

We wrote about vegetable-forward menus in the February 2013 issue of this newsletter, and since then the trend has grown even more. In fact, among more than 100 operators surveyed by Restaurant.com, vegetable dishes ranked No. 2 on the list of most popular food trends of the year, second only to healthy options. Many chefs are realizing that a steak’s a steak, but it takes creativity to work with vegetables, and it’s also easier to support a seasonal menu concept when you rely heavily on produce. At Martha, a new American comfort food spot in Brooklyn, N.Y., with many Asian touches, the winter menu includes such vegetable-based specialties as Cauliflower Gratin, butternut squash with miso butter and almonds, Thai eggplant with fish sauce and hard-boiled egg, and arugula salad with watermelon radish and fried wontons. Even McAllister’s Deli is taking the plunge, with a new lower-calorie menu program that emphasizes its Fire Roasted Vegetable Soup.

6. Me Caveman, the Diet

By the same token, protein has never been more in favor, and the diet du jour seems to be the Paleo or “caveman” regimen which emphasizes high-quality protein, vegetables, nuts and seeds, but eschews grains (read: gluten), legumes, dairy and processed foods. Many restaurant chefs, looking to lose weight and boost energy, have embraced the primal lifestyle, and there is even a Paleo Chef service that provides meals, recommendations, recipes and consulting services to would-be practitioners. Corner Table, which claims to be the first paleo restaurant in Houston, features a number of dishes that fit the diet, including paella made with grated cauliflower rice, and a Yaya’s Salad with kale, mixed greens, sweet potato, ginger, almonds, sesame seeds, cinnamon and pumpkin seeds in a ginger-mustard vinaigrette.

7. “Conscious” Choices

Speaking of protein, the world is evolving in the direction of choices that are viewed as responsible from the point of view of consumers, the planet and the animals themselves. And this is shaking out to mean sustainable seafood, grass-fed meats, pastured pork and antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken, as well as such vegetarian options as eggs, quinoa and other grains, soy, and beans. According to a recent report from Packaged Facts and CCD Innovation, it’s not just about natural food stores and high-end restaurants anymore, either. The norms for buying and eating food have changed for good within a broad cross-section of the American population, and today’s consumers are looking for everyday ways of eating that address several key issues, including:

• Local food supplies
• Meatless meals
• Humanely raised meat
• Sustainable seafood choices, either wild or farmed

8. Next Wave Beverage Pairings

Suggested wine pairings are certainly a great guest service/sales builder, but consumer interest in craft beers, cocktails and even specialty teas are such that there are many more pairing areas to explore. Apartment 13, in New York City, goes all out with its beverage program, offers wines, beers, spirits, cocktails and more that are organized by flavor profile. Cocktails share ingredients with food recipes, such as herbs, spices and fruits, as well as infusions and syrups created in collaboration with the kitchen—the better to facilitate “synchronicity” between the cocktail and food menus.

9. The South Rises Again

The ever-popular taste for regional American food seems to be centering on the South—more than a generation after the Cajun blackened fish craze of the 1980s. This iteration, however, has a more artisanal flavor under the wing of chefs with serious training. Bo’s Kitchen & Bar Room, in New York City, hits the trend with a country ham plate with biscuits and cara-cara marmalade; Crispy Alligator with chili aioli; Spiced Louisiana Redfish;: Buttermilk Braised Fried Chicken; and Catdaddy’s Moonshine behind the bar. Carriage House, in Chicago, does it up Charleston-style with She Crab Soup, Lowcountry Oyster Roast, Shrimp & Grits, and Country Fried Sweetbreads with red pea & okra succotash.

10. Urban ‘Cue

With no indigenous bbq style of their own, operators in big Northern towns like Chicago and New York can adapt any kind of ‘cue style with impunity—and that often means mixing it up with the likes of Texas brisket and Memphis ribs on the same menu. These new high-concept honky tonks also feature upgraded beverage service and other niceties, such as appetizers and salads. For example, there’s Dinosaur BBQ, with locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and a menu that includes everything from pork shoulder and St. Louis ribs to sausage and apple-brined chicken, plus catfish, skirt steak and even breakfast all day (smoked brisket and poblano hash). And SlowBones Modern Barbecue, in Burlington, MA, is making its own traditions with six different kinds of meat and eight sauces (you’d never see Cucumber Dill in a real rib shack, but what the heck), served with a choice of such new-school sides as Maple Smacked Quinoa.

Interested in more trends, food and otherwise? Check out these from Facts, Figures & The Future, Campbell’s Culinary & Baking Institute, Zagat Survey, Technomic, Fast Casual, and the CIA Worlds of Flavor Conference.


Three Keys to a Successful Restaurant Opening

By Mark Ladisky, Senior Operations Associate

Photo Credit: License CC by 2.0 Copyright Flickr User tribalicious
Photo Credit: License CC by 2.0 Copyright Flickr User tribalicious

 

We have orchestrated and participated in our share of openings, and in other cases we have been background support providing one specific role while others have directed the actual opening. In both cases there are some common preparations one should take when planning for a successful opening.

First, Plan it Out… Up to and Including Plan J.  We all like to think that our projects will happen on our timeline and in the order that we have set forth, but the reality of an opening is that we can’t control every variable that happens. The best we can do is sit down with a calendar and map out the best plan of action, with timelines and objectives, and be sure that when Plan A doesn’t work out as planned, that we have a Plan B and Plan C designed in advance—before the project starts—and maybe even up to a Plan J for Just-In-Case because… you never know.

If you experience challenges during the opening process and are not prepared with a good plan, then the results could include the costly waste of labor if staff is hired too soon or must be hastily trained, a waste of ordered food if the opening or occupancy is delayed, or the misfiring of press and marketing events. No matter how much you may dislike making a plan, you will regret not making one even more.

Next, Make a List for Everything. Even the most successful openings can be a very kinetic experience, with unconventional schedules and a lot to keep track of in your head. Keeping detailed lists in a project planner or even a legal pad will keep the small things from falling through the big cracks.

It’s not always everyone’s strength to be hyper-organized or to have a photographic memory, so have a set of categories worked out on something as simple as Excel tabs and make a daily practice of planning out the next day and “checking off boxes,” as we like to say.

Be sure that when you are working out your lists that you have a clear understanding of each course of events that you need to follow to avoid dead-ends on projects and goals. The time to determine your liquor pars is not when the salesperson walks in but before, and based on math and not rushed meetings. You need multiple planning sessions with all stakeholders in order to create workable opening timelines and strategies for a great opening.

Lastly, Trust but Validate. Just as keeping a list will help maintain your organization, delegating and validating will aid in your overall sanity, allowing you to focus on the big picture and trust in others rather than trying to micromanage all the details.

If you haven’t learned it by now, an opening will remind you that you can’t be everywhere and focused on everything at once. You should in the course of managing any project, but particularly during an opening: Plan to have others involved to help you reach your goals and deadlines.  Be sure that dates and goals are always shared and agreed-upon among the team, and that you check to be sure everything is on track and on time—without having to focus on all the little details of how it got done.

Being able to trust in any project starts with the human element, and whether it’s our team or yours it is critical that you have the right people around you for a successful restaurant opening. Take the time to ask the right questions of the people joining your efforts, and you will be able to reach your goals more readily and most of all happily.

Our team of restaurant experts can be involved with every element of your project from concept to design, menu and recipe creation to hiring and training and everything in between. Contact Synergy Consultants today to see how we can support you in your exciting new restaurant opening.

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Tip of the Month

Each year, December marks the release of one of the most influential “hot new trends” predictions of the season: The National Restaurant Association’s annual “What’s Hot” survey, conducted in collaboration with the American Culinary Federation. Fast Casual has posted a particularly useful article about this year’s survey, which also contains links to the full report, as well as last year’s analysis. Have a look.