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Danny Bendas on Flavor: Using Produce

Dec 30, 2012

Flavor & The Menu, the premier magazine for exploring food trends and news, covers the flavor functions of produce in their latest article written by Joan Lang. Danny Bendas, managing partner of Synergy Restaurant Consultants, is quoted in this article …

 

“Fruits and vegetables can also be used in boldly flavored relishes, chutneys, sauces, pickles and other condiments to bring an explosion of color and flavor to finished dishes, says Synergy’s Bendas.”

 

Produce- Image Credit: Flickr by christine592

Read the entire article here: Flavor Functions of Produce

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December 2012 Newsletter

Dec 18, 2012

Greetings!

As the year draws to a close, it’s a good time for all of us to take stock of what transpired in 2012 and what we each expect from our businesses in the year ahead.

There’s good reason to think that the economy is turning a corner, and with it the hospitality industry—the number of new openings and chain expansion plans for both restaurants and hotels is a healthy indicator of this. Of course, that means more competition, and many of you will want to consider a building remodel, new prototype design or brand refresh.

That’s an area we’ll be covering more in our newsletters ahead, sharing the insights of Synergy team members who are experts at restaurant branding and design. Let us know if there are any particular topics or projects you want to hear more about from us in 2013.

 

To your success,

Dean and Danny

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The Latest on Late-Night Dining

In St. Charles, MO, the local Applebee’s offers karaoke and half-price appetizers and drink specials from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., courtesy of the chain’s “bee’s Late Night” alter-ego. McDonald’s has featured its Breakfast After Midnight program in a number of test markets, including 24-hour locations. And in Boston, several serious restaurants are offering casual Asian-style post-party fare such as ramen and Korean-style fried chicken.

These are just a few of the many ways that restaurants are taking advantage of the “nocturnivore” cravings of a new generation of diners who want to eat out late but still well—a segment that early-to-the-trend Taco Bell famously dubbed fourthmeal. It’s a daypart that appeals not only to shift workers and college students on late-night study breaks but also to after-hours revelers and a whole lot of restaurant employees—and it also features prominently in the growth strategies of a number of savvy operators.

It’s all part of a larger trend toward snacking and eating smaller meals throughout the day, and it means that patrons no longer want to be locked into the standard breakfast-lunch-and-dinner schedule. Dunkin’ Donuts chief chef Stan Frankenthaler calls the phenomenon clockless dining, and it’s also driving such developments as 24-7 breakfast menus, late-afternoon bar menus, and smaller snack-size portions on menus (think Mickey D’s $1.99 Angus Snack Wraps and KFC’s Snacker line of little sandwiches).

Korean Fried Chicken – Image Credit: Flickr by arnold | inuyaki

While the main-meal idea still exists it’s been chipped away by the snacks that are in growing demand by on-the-go consumers, and now account for 20% of all meal occasions, according to the NPD Group. The research firm’s new “Snacking in America 2012” also reports that more than half of all Americans are snacking two or three times a day.

After-dark sales are a big beneficiary in these tectonic lifestyle changes—it stands to reason, especially where sales at lunch and dinner may have maxed out and fixed costs are already covered. At Applebee’s, for instance, the late-night daypart reportedly accounts for 13% of total sales, and has helped to boost demand for higher-margin alcoholic beverages.

Many restaurants satisfy hunger cravings with pared down late-night menus that are more in keeping with what guests want at that hour, and are also easier for the kitchen to execute. The Capital Ale House, in Richmond, VA, concentrates on such “simple servings” as sliders, meat and cheese plates, Belgian-style “frittes” (fries), and chicken wings. Sauce Restaurant in New York City dispenses packaged to-go fare like pasta with sauce, meatball sandwiches, and scrambled eggs with toast from a late-night window that’s open from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, when prep crew is onsite anyway, cutting meat and cooking the long-simmered foods that are a specialty of the dining room. Uni, an upscale Japanese sashimi specialist in Boston’s Eliot Hotel, morphs over into a more casual ramen bar at 11 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, with commensurately egalitarian prices—many an off-duty ramen-loving chef can be spotted there.

Speaking of late-night dining and chefs, in-the-know diners know to follow their favorite chefs to their chosen after-hours dining destinations for some of the best food and fandom. To that end, many restaurants sponsor after-hours Industry Nights knowing that not only will they get post-shift business from restaurant employees but they’ll also attract groupies and friends.

Vincent, a neighborhood bistro in Chicago, co-sponsors a regular first-Sunday-night-of-the-month Koffeeshop – Industry Night that does double-duty as an educational event. And part of the appeal of a new website/app called Chef’s Feed, in which high-profile chefs share their tips for where to eat and what to order, is finding out where they are when their own kitchens close.


Choosing the Right Contractor

By Gary Wiggle, AIA, Restaurant Design

You have found the perfect location. Your design team has come up with a solution that encompasses your vision. So now, let’s get it built!

Who should I call? My neighbors had a great contractor remodel their house. The contractor who built the offices next door seemed like a very nice person. That may not be enough, however, because as it turns out, this is one of the most important decisions you can make as you start your project.

Building a project that involves specialty systems requires a contractor with experience in that type of construction. Restaurants are complicated—lots of plumbing, mechanical and electrical. Health and safety requirements reviewed by numerous agencies. Coordination of the kitchen equipment installation. Refined interior finishes in the public areas. It takes an experienced contractor to make it all work, and stay on budget and on schedule.
The type of restaurant is also an indicator of your contractor selection. A contractor who has built 20 chain fast food locations may prove to be a poor choice to build your full- service restaurant. A contractor with a great reputation building in food courts may not have the proper experience in building your new ground-up dinnerhouse.

Do your homework. Find out who builds similar restaurants, in type (fast casual, quick serve, full service), size, and budget. Get references and then talk to them and view their finished projects. Did they build for the same client more than once? Look at projects that are a few years old. Did the construction hold up? Are the systems still working? Has the maintenance been reasonable?

If the contractor is being selected early in a negotiated contract situation to help on the budgeting of the project, make sure they are experienced enough to give you accurate numbers—if they’re giving you the numbers that you will be basing all of your financial decisions on, they have to be right. If you have a $500,000 budget and you base all of your financing on these numbers, but the bids come in at $600,000 because the contractor was not familiar with what it takes to build a restaurant, your project is in jeopardy.

When this happens, the tendency is to blame the design team on “overdesigning” the project, when the reality is that it has been underbudgeted. Restaurants are inherently expensive building projects. The amount of furniture, fixtures, and equipment can add up to a great deal of money for even the simplest restaurant. And a successful restaurant, which is what you want, will also be used hard, meaning that durability is important.

Cost cutting to meet a poorly budgeted project typically involves less expensive finishes and poorer quality equipment—maintenance issues that will possibly impact the quality and success of your restaurant.
Do not base your decisions only on budget. It is very tempting to take that low bid. But I advise my clients that the best choice is not the lowest bid, but the lowest qualified bid. Price is very important, but look also at past experience, schedule and references. Is the bid following the plans and specifications or are there a number of substitutions and “value engineering” ideas included to make the number artificially lower? Is the schedule too good to be true? Doing your homework and researching the contractor’s reputation and abilities will always pay off.

Good restaurant contractors are out there! Using the right one cannot guarantee the success of your restaurant, but it will give you the right start to what we all hope is a tasty, enjoyable, and profitable restaurant business.

For help designing or rebranding your new restaurant project, contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants.



In an Era of Hospitality Specialization, More Specialty Bars

Back in the July issue of this newsletter, we wrote about the blurring lines between bars and restaurants. Now, like restaurants, bars are specializing—not just along the lines of wine bars and brewpubs, but even by concept and type of spirits. And is it any surprise that many of these are run by restaurateurs who are diversifying into cocktails that complement the cuisines they love?

• Encore, a new high-end hotel-casino from Steve Wynn in Las Vegas, will play host to VDKA, a martini bar showcasing more than 150 types of vodka, including rare, top-shelf pours and such flavored vodkas as bacon, basil, tangerine, whipped cream and sugar cookie. The new bar will also feature a dispensary system that delivers the vodka perfectly chilled, which thickens the spirit and makes it more smooth

• Zapoteca Restaurante & Tequileria in Portland, ME, stocks more than 100 different kinds of tequila and mescal. In order to help educate guests about this relatively unfamiliar beverage, the restaurant offers tasting flights and weekly samplings, as well as private events that can be arranged via New England’s only certified tequila “sommelier”

The Third Man, in New York City, styles itself as “an early 20th century Vienna themed bar,” with chef-inspired muddled cocktails and a limited menu of Austrian-style small plates prepared next door at Edi and the Wolf, an Austrian restaurant with the same owners

• Chicago’s new Three Dots and a Dash is a tiki bar (read: rum drinks) being developed by Rich Melman’s sons Jerrod and R.J., partnering with well-known Windy City bartender Paul McGee. It’s located downstairs from the Melmans’ relaunched Bub City, itself a country bar and barbecue restaurant that was originally started by Dad

• New York City has several new speakeasy-style bars specializing in gin, including Madame Geneva, which is adjacent to the popular Saxon & Parole. The cocktail list includes the Singapore Sling, a variation on a French 75, and of course an artisanal Gin & Tonic, and the brief menu of snacks touts such Asianate fare as shrimp toast, salt-and-pepper squid, and fries with vindaloo ketchup

Seven Grand Whiskey Bar, in Los Angeles, serves—surprise—some 375 kinds of whisk(e)y from around the world, including comparative tasting flights of rye, bourbon, single malt, and Irish, organized for drinkers at three different levels of experience (entry-level to connoisseur). Seven Grand is even home to a Whiskey Society that is dedicated to educating the public about rare whiskies. Parent company 213 Nightlife, which operates 10 high-profile cocktail bars and pubs in the Los Angeles area, also owns Cana Rum Bar

• The underappreciated South American brandy called Pisco gets its own special treatment at Amaru Pisco Bar in the Queens, NY, neighborhood of Jackson Heights. Owned by Rodolfo Mayor, who helped introduce Peruvian-style rotisserie-chicken via the local chain Pio Pio, Amaru showcases some 16 different types of Pisco, for sipping straight or mixing into cocktails, plus a menu of snacks like anticuchos (beef heart skewers)


Tip of the Month

The National Restaurant Association has released its much-anticipated “What’s Hot” culinary forecast of menu trends for 2013. Based on surveys of more than 1,800 chef-members of the American Culinary Federation, this year’s list runs the gamut from locally sourced meats and produce to whole-grain items on kids’ menus. This year, the NRA also surveyed nearly 200 professional bartenders, who shared their predictions about barrel-aged drinks, food-liquor pairings, and culinary cocktails for next year.

 

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Wrapping Up 2012 and Looking Ahead in Restaurant Trends

Dec 18, 2012

Can you believe yet another year is coming to a close? We hope your 2012 was a successful one! To wrap up the year and look into new food industry insights for 2013, we hope you’ll check out our December newsletter coming out next Tuesday (subscription is absolutely free). But for now, here’s a sneak peak of what you can look forward to.

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The Latest on Late-Night Dining

Savvy restaurant operators are taking advantage of the “nocturnivore” cravings of a new generation of diners who want to eat out late but still eat well. The trend to more snacking and “clockless dining” is part of what’s behind the growing trend to late-night dining, and it represents a great opportunity to build sales and expand your customer base.

 

How to Choose a Contractor

Restaurants are complex operations with lots of different moving parts, from mechanical and electrical systems to health and safety requirements—you can’t just pull a name out of a phone book or use the guy that remodeled your house. Read more about how to find someone who will execute your plan and share your vision.

 

Specialty Bars

Now, like restaurants, bars are specializing—not just along the lines of wine bars and brewpubs, but even by concept and type of spirits. And is it any surprise that many of these are run by restaurateurs who are diversifying into cocktails that complement the cuisines they love? Read on for examples of who’s doing what.

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Inspecting your restaurant supply chain to help with rising costs

Dec 11, 2012

The meals you eat at your favorite restaurants may be costing you more these days. One of the largest droughts since the 1950’s is hitting our nation’s most valuable crops like corn and soybeans, hard. Since much livestock like cattle, pork and even chicken are corn fed, this is resulting in a more expensive animal to raise. And even going beyond that, according to this LA Times article, “The price of corn — a key component in livestock feed and an ingredient in powdered sugar, salad dressing, soda and more — catapulted 60% in early summer.”

 

So, how’s a restaurant to cope? The most obvious answer (raising menu prices across the board) is not necessarily the best or most efficient solution. After all, the economy is still slow and consumers are still conscious of how they spend. A restaurant must look into several facets of their supply chain:

 

1) Supply contracts: how well are negotiating your supply contracts? Are you locking in prices far in advance to hedge against future price volatility? Are there alternative suppliers you can look into?

2) Reducing waste: is your restaurant really doing all it can? Reducing waste allows for reduced costs!

3) Inspect and manage your menu: find areas of your menu that you may be able to reduce or altogether replace food items that are less costly in today’s economic environment. Also, take a look at controlling portion sizes.

4) And how do you do all of the above while still managing to deliver a perception of value to the consumer?

 

If you would like to take a closer look into your supply chain management, contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants; our experienced restaurant consultants can assess your supply management program and discover areas for operational efficiency and cost reduction.

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LYFE Kitchen: Beyond Good Design

Dec 09, 2012

A restaurant’s design is a large factor of importance for the success of any brand. LYFE Kitchen, as recently featured in this QSR Article, Living the LYFE in Quick Service, truly embodies the essence of restaurant design with a purpose.

 

Since LYFE Kitchen’s mission is to provide healthy, fresh and gourmet fast food, in a responsible way (e.g. sustainability) we wanted to convey that through the physical aspects of the restaurant. We are very proud to say that our head design consultant, Margee Drews, took this concept to the extreme when working with LYFE Kitchen. Using materials like recycled milk containers for the sofas and countertops constructed from reclaimed materials, are just a couple of  innovative ways Margee incorporated green, socially-responsible principles to restaurant’s interior design.

 

Combine this with a cozy, comfortable and inviting atmosphere and you’ve got a place where few would want to leave. Read more about it here at QSR:  Living the LYFE in Quick Service

 

For more information about our restaurant design services, contact Synergy: 888-861-9212.

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T.G.I. Friday’s In Syracuse: Second Unit with New Design

Dec 08, 2012

We were very excited to have shepherded the Nashville T.G.I. Friday’s new kitchen and bar design concept  earlier this year and equally excited that the design will be debuted in the new T.G.I.F. to be opened December 10 in Syracuse at Destiny USA, the second T.G.I.F. unit in the nation to feature the new designs.

Energy efficient kitchen equipment, an open kitchen so guests can see the chefs cooking and a larger, revamped bar are some key features in the design overhaul. Learn more about it by watching the Syracuse Post-Standard video below.

 

Video below:

 

To learn more about how Synergy can help redesign your kitchen or bar, contact us at 888-861-9212 or at info[at]www.synergyconsultants.com.

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How much do consumers really care about nutrition labeling?

Dec 07, 2012

We have written a lot about restaurant nutritional labeling standards and news in the past and with a recent study published by Technomic, more valuable insights are provided on the consumer’s viewpoint on this matter.

 

This Nathan’s menu displays beverages’ calories. Image Credit: Flickr by Kai Brinker

The recent study conducted by Technomic reveals that a majority of consumers really do care about restaurants disclosing nutritional details, such as calorie and sodium content, about the food they serve. According to Technomic study, “65 percent favor nutritional labeling in restaurants, with the strongest demand for listing of calories and sodium content. Seventy percent of consumers say they care that chain restaurants disclose calorie and other nutritional information on their menus and 68 percent want nutritional information on all restaurant menus, not just chains.” Read the entire press release on this study here: Technomic finds strong consumer support for nutritional disclosure at restaurants.

 

Currently, the menu labeling requirements are only meant for restaurant chains and retail food establishments with 20 locations under the Patient  Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Keep up-to-date with news from the FDA on regulation for nutrition labeling in restaurants: Overview of FDA Proposed Labeling Requirements for Restaurants, Similar Retail Food Establishments and Vending Machines.
If your restaurant needs assistance with creating accurate nutrition labeling for your menu items, contact Synergy Consultants at 888-861-9212.

 

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Restaurant trends for 2013

Dec 05, 2012

Can you believe that yet another year is coming to an end? It seems like just yesterday that we published our 2012 restaurant insights, but as one year passes, a new one brings forth exciting trends in the restaurant and food scene! We are very excited to share with you expert insights on what’s hot for restaurants in 2013. We have compiled a list of great articles that explore menu items, flavors, cooking techniques and new conveniences (robots, anyone?) that may dominate in the coming year.

Noodles are predicted to be trendy for 2013. Photo credit: Flickr by xxHxx

Hot restaurant menu trends for 2013 by Nation’s Restaurant News

2013 restaurant trends: robots, chef delivery, ‘next Chipotle’ by The Los Angeles Times

Food Trends 2013: Baum & Whiteman Report Predicts Next Big Things In Dining by The Huffington Post

2013 Food Trends Spotlight Specialty Beverages, Fast-Casual, Green Veggies

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Walmart Introduces a Foodie Subscription Service

Dec 04, 2012

“Premium flavors of the world that come to you.” That’s the whole concept behind Walmart’s latest creation, Goodies Co.–a subscription service that delivers tasty little samples of artisan goods to food lovers at just $7 each month (including tax and shipping). According to their press release, “Goodies Co. has been in a private beta test for the last few months with over 3,000 users across the United States. Each month, treats are arranged into a thematic selection such as “Flavors around the World,” and “Trick-or-Treat Sweets” for Halloween.”

 

For the foodie, this concept can prove to exciting since each delivery is essentially a surprise. Goodies Co. also aims to allow food lovers a chance to try new foods and brands they’ve yet to taste at an inexpensive price; since a box contains about 5-8 trial size foods, that comes out to less than a dollar per piece! Some of the hand-picked treats include items such as  gourmet chocolates,   popcorn, teas, spreads, crackers, nuts, baking mixes, and chips.

 

If you’re a food vendor/manufacturer, Goodies Co. may be a unique way to get your name and product out to the public. You can inquire about it by checking out their website. But, if you’re simply just looking to try out the service, for now you will have to head on over to Goodies.co and request in invitation. Share your thoughts with us! Do you think this a service worth trying?

 

Learn more about Goodies Co. (video):

 

 

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Spice up the Season with Gourmet Chocolate Flavors

Dec 02, 2012

We can hardly find anyone who doesn’t like chocolate, and since the holidays are just around the corner, we believe it fitting to dedicate a blog post all about chocolates. But sometimes, we admit we can be food snobs (hey, we are restaurant consultants after all). We relish in unique, daring, and bold flavors with formidable ingredient combinations. So we have compiled a list of great gourmet chocolates from some award winning chocolatiers so you can step out of your chocolate comfort zone and into something more exciting!

 

Image Credit: Flickr By Kirti Poddar

 

Stout Beer Truffle from Socola:  Yes, a beer chocolate! From Socola’s website, “Our stout beer truffle is infused with Guinness Stout.  It is a match made in heaven: a dark-chocolate ganache with just a swig of stout in every bite.  The nitrogen from the beer creates a smooth, velvety texture, and the bitterness of the hops complements the chocolate perfectly.”

 

Tipu’s Chai and Smoked Almonds Milk Chocolate from Posh Chocolate: Talk about a chocolate bar that will spice up your holiday! This bar is described as, “combines 37% single origin milk chocolate with masala, cinnamon, cardamom and many other spices from Chai Tea producing a very aromatic and delightful origin bar.”

 

Habanero Passion Fruit Caramel from Sixth Course: Have a flair for heat? If you thought you couldn’t even fathom adding chili peppers to sweets, think again. Sixth Course describes their habanero confection: “Some like it hot hot hot!!! Passion fruit caramel infused with fresh Habanero chili wrapped up in a creamy white chocolate shell.”

 

Raspberry Lychee Truffle from Feve Artisan Chocolatier: Feve chocolates features a very unique truffle flavor: “dark chocolate and lychee truffle layered with raspberry gelee.”

 

Lindt Chocolate’s Limited Edition Mocha Coconut bar: An international gourmet household favorite, Lindt Chocolate unveils a new, limited edition chocolate that features coffee and coconut flakes enveloped by their famous dark chocolate. Did you know that this bar was actually a creation from a CIA Pastry Arts student? The student won the Lindt Excellent Recipe Challenge and as a reward, she received a scholarship and her chocolate creation was brought to life in this limited edition bar.