International flavors are what’s hot all across the country on every menu you see. African flavors are perhaps the most popular of them all, with Middle Eastern flavors following closely behind.

When surveyed, professional chefs stated that African, Latin American, Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean flavors were the biggest influences for menus this year. It’s not just about fusing them with familiar cuisine either. Culinary experts are delving deep into the authenticity of each cuisine, using traditional methods to produce the true ethnic flavor. Both fusing cuisines together and creating authentic dishes from each culture are indeed hot food trends right now.

Most of these new international flavors all feature heat but it’s more of a flavorful and aromatic blend of spices and sauces than it is of intense heat. Adding a layer of ethnic flavor is what takes the cuisine to the next level.

A great example of this is the sweet yet spicy gochujang Korean barbecue sauce. It’s thick and is often used on meats. We’re also seeing kimchi, fermented cabbage, popping up everywhere, including on top of burgers. And of course, that’s not all. Warm Middle Eastern flavors with spice mixtures that include cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, allspice and ginger are on the rise.

Perhaps the spice to keep an eye on the most is turmeric. It’s been touted for its incredible healing ability. It’s often what is found in most curries, giving it that yellow hue. Everywhere you look, you’ll see turmeric in cocktails and in menu items like turmeric roasted chicken a variety of other dishes.

Because today’s consumer is concerned with health and wellness particularly in dining options, turmeric is definitely a spice that is driving the innovation behind the culinary creations that today’s chefs are dishing out. It adds an element of ethnicity while adding healthy benefits, which is a huge force driving this dining trend.

For the last decade, parents have begun to really demand a change in the kinds of meals available to their children. Where we once saw limited options that usually contained fries, a burger, soft drink and a cheap toy, we’re now seeing more options for healthful choices as well as items that are seen as gourmet.

Mac and cheese will likely always be a kids’ meal staple in most restaurants. However, it’s been getting a gourmet facelift by being crafted with artisan cheeses or having slightly familiar but more upscale ingredients being added to it. Instead of ham, you might see prosciutto or chunks of crab or lobster. And the kids are loving it.

Artisan breads made of healthy whole grains are taking over too. Where sandwiches were once served on sugary white bread, kids’ meals are now changing the bread and rolls. The children don’t even notice this gourmet move. Wraps are also popular for kids’ meals.

Many restaurants are embracing the gourmet trend on the kids’ menu, changing things up just enough to give it that gourmet touch without being too unusual so as to intimidate young diners. What this means is that instead of “ham and cheese” as a sandwich offering for children, we’re seeing organic, health-fully cultivated foods that take us back to our roots. So today’s “ham and cheese” is now wild-raised shaved ham with country-churned cheddar cheese or something equally as earthy and inviting.

What’s great about this food trend is that it’s been a long time coming that children should be steered away from over-processed foods that can hardly be considered food. It’s refreshing to see children embracing these items too, likely unaware of the difference and simply enjoying the simplified meals that gourmet ingredients afford them.

Watch for this shift in kids’ meals from fast food to fast casual to sit-down restaurants. It’s a positive shift that ties well into the health trend and keeps going on the upswing.

America’s love affair with ice cream continues to burn hotter than ever. It’s always been a popular treat for children and adults and is a relatively easy to please menu item to add to a dessert section. But in the ever-evolving culinary scene, offering simply chocolate or vanilla scoops of ice cream isn’t going to bring people back in for more.

Ice cream and gelato too should be creamy and rich. And while consumers will never tire of vanilla or chocolate ice cream, most will skip dessert if the offerings aren’t that exciting. After all, who wants to pay $5 for an ordinary scoop of sub-par ice cream?

Chefs are responding and really having fun with this trend by creating their own unique flavors of ice cream and gelato in-house. They take great care and pride to bring whimsical flavor ideas to life. Sometimes, these offerings are simply meant to accompany a slice of cake or pie, but every chef out there knows that serving it with vanilla or chocolate ice cream is totally out of style.

Think pecan pie with caramel cinnamon ice cream or dark-chocolate infused raspberry gelato served alongside a rich chocolate tart. Simply reading the names of these artisan flavors is enough to peak a consumer’s interest in ordering dessert. It encourages salivation and desire. Chefs that want to develop a loyal customer base keep this trend in mind, searching for ways to take other flavors into the creamy and dreamy world of ice cream.

Expect to see the ordinary flavors take a seat on the sidelines while restaurants everywhere hone in on this artisan-created ice cream trend. Combined with this, you’ll also see some savory options of America’s favorite dessert being offered. Don’t knock it until you try it!

Everyone has heard of heirloom tomatoes, but now heirloom everything is sprouting up in the mainstream. Chefs are loving these simple, earthy ingredients. Heirloom has such a nice ring to it, especially when you include it in the description of a dish with heirloom vegetables.

When a fruit or vegetable is called “heirloom,” it means that it’s from an old crop. These old plant breeds have been around since prior to the types of modern growing and breeding practices that we now have in America today. While the name “heirloom” might just sound fancy to most restaurant guests, true gourmands know that eating heirloom fruits and vegetables is a rare treat. It’s a chance to indulge in the distinctive flavors and genetic traits of these fruits and vegetables that have remained unchanged for ages.

So chefs everywhere are snatching up the chance to use heirloom fruits and vegetables. A ho-hum beetroot salad becomes much more exciting when topped with heirloom vegetables like atomic red carrots and Chiogga beets. In fact, many of the names of these heirloom plants sound much like hipster names, which makes them even more appealing when splashed onto a menu.

Grass-fed organic USDA prime cuts of beef couldn’t possibly go better with cowhorn potatoes and heirloom garlic. Predictably, heirloom varieties seem to have either cutesy or fancy names, but it all translates to bigger sales in the restaurants that serve them.

Not only do they look and sound fancier than regular produce, but heirloom produce happens to taste even better. The robust and hearty flavors that have been preserved over time are truly marvelous and something that should be embraced. Thankfully, consumers feel the same way and what’s happening is lots of high demand now for these once-rare varieties that are now making a major comeback. On menus and in supermarkets everywhere, get ready to see a boom of heirloom offerings.

Healthier food options have been trending in recent years and don’t seem to be standing still. This trend is steadily on the rise every year. What is remarkable now though is that children are becoming a part of this trend. We’re seeing kids’ meals getting healthy makeovers everywhere from McDonald’s to more upscale venues.

Parents are demanding healthier options for their children so it’s easy to see why this trend is becoming ingrained in our culinary creations. Of course, no one is completely ditching the sides of fries or sodas, but having available healthier options to choose from is truly the key for success with families.

So while certain items will never be off the menu, you’ll now start seeing healthier options alongside them. If there’s a chicken sandwich, you’ll see a grilled version. Sides of steamed vegetables, vegetable or fruit sticks. Salads, whole wheat bread, organic milk or juice instead of soda are other big changes you can expect to see on menus everywhere.

It makes sense that restaurants should start wooing children that dine out. Children are already going out to dinner with their families. One day, they will be grown up and will go out to eat on their own. As the frequent diners of tomorrow, the restaurant industry is keen to build a good rapport with these children now. Helping them establish positive eating habits with food that tastes good yet is nutritionally proper is essential for future success in the industry.

Getting in on this trend is a smart way to increase sales in the long run for almost every restaurant in existence. Cultivating the palates of children now helps set the foundation for a generation of adults who enjoy eating their food to taste it and appreciate it as opposed to mindlessly grazing on food that has little to no nutritional value.

First it was chipotle. Then sriracha. And now it seems one of the most popular flavors to shake up the culinary game is the smoky flavor. All over, we’re seeing the addition of smoky tastes in food and beverages alike.

While smoking may be out of style as a fad for people, smoking for food is the new big thing. More and more restaurants are investing in smokers for cured meats, fish, and even vegetables and cheeses. As every chef works hard to top the last groundbreaking offering, the biggest blast of smoky excitement is coming in the form of garnishes.

Scorched herbs are the newest hipster food fad, and this trend seems to be one that will stick around. This food trend can be pinned to the greater demand for farm-to-table cuisine with fresher, locally cultivated produce and meats being the center of focus. In an effort to keep to the earthy boldness that today’s menus are now brimming with, chefs have turned to slightly scorching herbs as a way to add another element to their creations.

The aroma created from adding a bit of char to a sprig of rosemary for example is astounding. It adds another layer of flavor to the dish that takes it to a whole new echelon. As a bonus, it also looks beautiful and add a natural, woodsy charm to the dish.

Thyme is another one that is becoming a popular scorched garnish. The deep and earthy scent that comes from charring herbs like these evokes warm images in the mind and spirit. It helps connect guests with their food more and gives it more of a flair without adding extra seasonings or calories.

To add scorch to herbs, you can simply toast them in your oven for a good seven minutes to dry them out. If you have a blow torch, this works more quickly to add that extra smoky flavor to your concoctions. Easy does it though because it’s one thing to have a smoldering garnish. It’s quite another to serve one that is completely aflame.

When you dine out next, you’re likely to see this scorching technique applied to many of the traditional dishes you’re used to. A rack of lamb with rosemary is always a top-selling dish. However, when you add that smoky scorched technique to the rosemary, it makes the dish more primal without turning it into a primitive meal. So while smoking cigarettes is decidedly uncool, smoking herbs to a light scorch is where it’s at in the culinary world today.

By George Barton, Sr. Beverage Consultant.

“No hassle, no training, no investment”

Capturing every drink transaction, every shift, every day has always been a challenge for leadership, from a small independent restaurant to large brands representing hundreds of locations.  The human factor is at play and while not labeling world class bartenders at the culprit, you should clearly understand the tools that will support a key objective   —  that EVERY transaction at the bar is accounted for through video auditing by way of small cameras which are linked to your point of sale to insure compliance.  Simply put, if you sell 100 drinks (beer, wine and cocktails) on a shift, it’s captured, reconciled and time stamped that all 100 drinks are collected or rang up, based upon your operations procedure when to capture the drink revenue.  What else could be more effective in today’s busy hospitality environment. If we believe and know that every drink during a shift is not accounted for, why not take the necessary steps to invest in a tool to accomplish this which supports revenue growth. High reward (lost revenue captured, improved margins) with low risk.

A few key deliverables to consider on taking on a new initiative like this:

• Why do it: No need to invest capital to increase profits nor to accept ignored SOP’s any longer.  Actually there is no training nor maintenance required.
• Benefits: No charge for cameras or maintenance. Every beverage and food serving from behind the bar are time stamped, while ring ups, serving etiquette  and preparation are all captured.  Captured beverage and food presentations that miss your collection standards are highlighted for your observation.
• Problem – Solution: Failure to meet standards is a reality in hospitality due to the fast moving environment which conjures up many opportunities for operations execution to be ignored or forgotten. Why not initiate procedures that reviews this breach in standard operating procedures.  Empower management and allow enforcement or excellence in execution and collection of every transition. Product today is simply too expensive to allow not to be accounted for.
• The How: Small cameras mounted to view all service areas and are connected to the interned. Analysts audit images to track what is served vs what is accounted for. Reports (very easy to navigate) show discrepancies from what was delivered from what was accounted for according to your SOP’

While this new age of mixology or the voice of the bartender is more prevalent than ever and rightly so, we also know from history and actual loss of revenue and margins that numerous factors play havoc on ensuring that EVERY beverage and food transaction from behind the bar is accounted for.

If you would like to learn and hear more, give Synergy a call.

Pizza. It’s delicious and it comes in oh-so-many variations in the U.S. and all over the world. Neapolitan, deep dish, thin crust, New York style, California style—we love them all. However, we’d be remiss if we did not share with you a guide to the different U.S. regional variations of the beloved pie. Because after all, it’s your duty as an American citizen to try them all.

Let’s get to it.

• Chicago: Characterized by its thick crust and plentiful amount of sauce and toppings. As its name implies, this type of pie is baked in a deep, round pan. You eat this with a fork and a knife, most times.
• New York: Think thin and foldable (and portable). This kind of pizza has a crispy, thin crust that’s been hand-tossed during preparation. It’s typically sold by the slice.
• California: Its crust is a fusion of NY and Italian, paired with a wide array of toppings (nuts, seafood, veggies, etc.). The only limit is your imagination.
• New Haven: Hailing out of New Haven, Connecticut, this pie’s a spin-off of Neopolitan pizza. It’s referred to as “Apizza” and is cooked in a coal-fired brick oven, lending to its charred, thin and chewy crust.

Craving more pizza? Read on here: Everything You Need to Know about Regional U.S. Pizza Styles

What color will 2017 be? Each year the Pantone Color Institute identifies what they believe to be the “Pantone Color of the Year,” with 2016 being Rose Quartz and Serenity (a dusty pink and a baby blue). They study trends in social media, fashion, consumer products and technology in order to make their annual forecasts. And this year, the color experts predict that 2017’s color will be, “greenery.” Not just any green, mind you.  Pantone Color Institute describes the color of 2017 as a “zesty yellow-green shade.”

What images, words, or ideas come to your mind when you think of the color, green? For us, we envision healthy food, like fresh-from-the-farm produce that’s ready to make a statement on the plate. And it’s not just the food itself either.

Take a look at True Food Kitchen. The restaurant’s menu is complemented by the vibrant shades of green of the interior. Zesty lime-green booths and chairs fill the space, inside as well as in the outdoor seating areas. It’s a great example of a restaurant cleverly uniting color and concept.

Lyfe Kitchen’s herb wall provides a pretty splash of green color while at the same time promoting a healthy vibe to the space.

We’re excited to see how “greenery” will be implemented in restaurants come 2017!

Many people open restaurants based on their big dreams for sharing their food or their concept with others as well as to turn out a large profit. But as many as 60% of new restaurants that open up fail within the first year and a whopping 80% tank in less than five years, according to Business Insider.

For your best chance at success, you need to hire a restaurant manager who is capable of running the show. He or she should be able to manage the restaurant and staff so that it runs like a well-oiled machine. Finding the right manager for the job can be tricky, so follow this advice for ensuring you choose the right candidate to manage your restaurant.

1. Search Hospitality Websites
   For a restaurant you need more than someone with management experience. You need someone with restaurant management experience. Someone who knows how to endure life in the hospitality market. So start looking for candidates in that area on hospitality websites. Recruitment companies that specialize in hiring for the hospitality industry are also great to work with. The experienced companies know to dig in to the details of what you are looking for while understanding what may be available in the marketplace.
2.  Ensure you Interview a Large Pool of Candidates
   Even if you truly find the first candidate to be what you’re looking for, don’t cancel the other interviews you’ve scheduled. You might find someone even more qualified or find someone else’s background to make them a better fit for the position. Remember, this person will be running your business on a daily basis so it is critical you choose the one that can do it the best.
3. Leadership Skills
   Starting with fully understanding the level of manager that you need, the recruiter draws on one of two directions – to bring someone in with leadership experience from past employers OR a candidate who will be taught leadership skills from your involvement, your operation and the way that you would like them to lead your team. Styles of leadership differ greatly in this business – most important is what you need at your restaurant and for your staff.

4. Check up on Those References
   It’s common in the restaurant business for people to pad up their resumes.So make sure to check out every reference of every potential restaurant manager you interview. You really need to make sure you hire someone who has the real experience needed for running your restaurant or this will all be a waste of resources when you find you need to restart the hiring process from scratch.

5. Ask a lot of Questions
   To determine the best candidate for your restaurant manager position, ask as many questions as possible for each candidate you interview. How will you help my restaurant run well? How will you manage my staff? It’s all about how the candidate dealt with issues in their past. How do they handle restaurant problems, “people” problems and even profit problems? Make a list of questions like this, leaving space between to jot down your notes so you can reference them later when you need to decide on which candidate to hire.
6. Review Qualifications
   Did your candidate get a degree or even a masters in hospitality management? Certificates and qualifications also make the man or woman you choose to hire for the role of your restaurant manager. What you learn by the candidate achieving a degree is that they “know how to learn”. This can be very important to the growth of your business and your bottom line. Make sure you find someone whose credentials sync up with your business.

By taking care when going through the hiring process, you’ll be much more likely to find that person who will really fit into your restaurant as the manager. This person should be an extension of you with shared ideas about the success of the restaurant so be thorough and honest in what you want in order to find the perfect one for you.