Did you know that November is Diabetes Awareness Month? Individuals suffering from diabetes not only have to consider the amount of sugar that goes into each meal they eat, but also how much carbohydrates there are. Being that there are nearly 25 million diabetics in the U.S., it makes it ever-more important that restaurants make sure they are offering diabetes-friendly menu items.

Read more here: http://www.sysco.com/health/Sysco-Shape-Newsletter.html

 

Does your restaurant only offer fries and chips as sides? An easy way to revamp your menu to cater to diabetics is by evaluating your side dishes.  Check out our list side ideas that are healthy and delicious for everyone.

 

Consider Offer these Carb-Friendly Sides:

– Steamed, non-starchy vegetables such as asparagus, carrots,broccoli, cauliflower, and eggplant with zesty vinaigrette dressing

– Garlic cauliflower mashed-potatoes

– Sauteed mushrooms and onions

– Baked zucchinni chips

– Balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts

– Avocado salad with tomatoes and onions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With over 25 years of hospitality consulting experience, there are certain facts we have learned about the restaurant business. It’s commonly understood that food costs and pricing strategies can make or break a restaurant. However, you may find it surprising that many independent restaurants are actually undercharging for their products.

The following data can be helpful to use as a price comparison. Take a look at your menu prices and compare them to the averages found at national chains. How do you stack up?

 

 

To calculate the data, we took a sample of menu items within each of the categories listed above and found the average price of an item within the category. The national chains used to determine the calculations included Applebees, Chilis, Olive Garden, Red Robin, Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday, Smokey Bones, Texas Roadhouse, Outback, Lonestar, Hooters, Buffalo Wild Wings, Wild Wings Café, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Papa Johns, and Panera.

 

Synergy Restaurant Consultants offers comprehensive restaurant financial services. Please visit www.synergyconsultants.com for more information.

 

 

 

 

Good news for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) has partnered with the Canadian Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) to bring the certified gluten-free seal to products in the U.S.

 

Currently, the U.S. does not have any labeling regulations or standards for gluten-free products. This can be quite scary for those with gluten issues that can easily be set off by just a minute trace of the protein. The certification was developed by the Canadian Celiac Association and includes rigorous testing and audits of the entire manufacturing process from the field to the store shelf. The seal provides consumers with a trusted and easily identifiable source of safe gluten-free products.

 

U.S. consumers will not see the seal in stores for quite some time but a few major food companies have begun the audit process.

 

How do consumers choose where to dine out?  According to a recent NPD Group study, fresh ingredients and choice are key.
The NPD report, Defining Value: Where Consumers Choose to Eat Out, divides restaurant consumers into five segments, with “Foodies” and “Restaurant Regulars” as two of the largest.  Representing 58% of the market, these consumers are less motivated by price and value and make purchase decisions based on the freshness and quality of the food.

 

The study also discovered that consumers love choice.  When ordering combo meals, diners prefer “mix-and-match” choice meals as opposed to preset plates.  Customization is crucial and many restaurants are choosing a model that meets this need.

 

One of our clients, Tom Yum District, a new fast-casual concept outside of Washington DC, is a great example of how to offer consumers the fresh ingredients and choices they desire.  This fresh Thai grill allows diners to completely customize their meals by choosing from 4 bases (noodles, greens, or white/brown rice), 4 proteins (chicken, shrimp, steak, or tofu), over 10 different toppings, and 5 different sauces.  While consumers walk the line to build their made-to-order bowls, they can see the freshness of the premium ingredients, including only the highest quality jasmine rice and naturally raised meats without antibiotics or added hormones.

What makes a great cocktail? Fresh ingredients, balanced flavors, beautiful presentation, and a knowledgeable bartender probably come to mind. However, have you ever considered the ice used to chill your drink?

Certain cocktails are best served with specific types of ice and many bars recognize this and are implementing ice programs. Dilution rates play a big part in determining the best type of ice to use. Large, dense ice cubes melt slowly and keep drinks lightly chilled without watering them down, ideal when drinking a premium spirit.  However, other drinks need to be quickly chilled and benefit from the dilution provided by small ice nuggets.

 

Of course, appearance also plays a role in the ice used in drinks. Ordinary ice is often cloudy due to water impurities and air bubbles formed in the quick freezing process.  Specialty ice is slowly frozen from pristine water and produces crystal clear ice that looks best in a cocktail. This attention to detail produces a beautiful drink that wows guests with its presentation.

 

At Milk & Honey (NYC and London), drinks are served with jagged ice cubes that bartenders hand cut from large blocks of ice. Their ice is twice frozen from mineral water to provide cubes that are incredibly dense, cold, and clear.  Red Feather (Boise) has seven different types of ice behind the bar to provide perfectly chilled cocktails. Sushi Roku (Scottsdale) is serving sake snow cones made from hand-shaved ice.  In Washington D.C., two former bartenders have launched Favourite Ice Company to provide bars and restaurants with hand-cut, artisan ice.

 

 

If you’re interested in implementing an ice program in your restaurant or bar, please contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants for more details.

It is a common belief amongst restaurateurs that low-calorie menu options are necessary to accommodate health-conscious guests, but emerging research may suggest otherwise. A recent study by The NPD Group found that many consumers are not interested in light options and are eating “healthy” simply by ordering less.  Many Americans regard dining out as a treat, and do not want to be restricted to light meals.  Instead, they are practicing moderation by ordering smaller portions, skipping dessert, and passing on alcoholic beverages.

While this downtrend in order size isn’t necessarily good news for restaurant owners, it is possible to counteract this trend.  Menu innovation is key to giving consumers what they want: delicious food that they can feel good about eating.  Consider LYFE Kitchen, where every menu item weighs in at less than 600 calories, including full-flavored options like fish tacos, burgers, fried chicken, and desserts.  By using creative preparation methods, dishes that may typically be seen as overindulgent can actually provide consumers with the health benefits they desire without skimping on taste.  This prevents patrons from feeling like they need to order less and allows them to feel fulfilled within reason.

 

The National Restaurant Association’s annual culinary trends survey, “What’s Hot 2013,” also gives reason for restaurateurs and chefs to consider adding ‘better-for-you’ options to their menus.  Several of the top 20 trends indicate that consumers are trying to make healthier choices at restaurants by choosing locally sourced meats, seafood, and produce, focusing on health/nutrition, and ordering small portions.  Tender Greens, a fast-casual California-based chain, offers a menu and philosophy that is aligned with these trends by working with local farmers and producers to offer top quality, locally sourced ingredients.  Their menu, described as ‘slow food done fast’, features salads, soups, and grilled proteins that can be ordered as sandwiches, salads, sides, or hot plates.

If you are interested in providing healthy options that guests will crave, please contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants to learn more about our culinary innovation and menu development expertise.

Did you know that the U.S. celebrates the following foods in the month of June? Yes, June is:

• Candy Month
• Dairy Month
• Dairy Alternatives Month
• National Fruit and Vegetables Month
• National Iced Tea Month
• National Surimi Seafood Month
• National Turkey Lovers’ Month
• National Steakhouse Month

 

Source Wikipedia

 

Take this as an opportunity to celebrate at your restaurant! Try offering iced tea specials or even discounts on dairy dishes! Use this as an opporutnity highlight your dishes that use any of these celebrated ingredients.

 

Here are some ways major brands are celebrating foods this month:

 

• 7-Eleven is parterning up with Snapple to offer customers free Snapple ice tea from June 10 through June 15.
• Domino’s Pizza joins Dairy Famers of Utah for an event called, “Delivering Dairy Goodness”that is centered on showcasing how farmers create dairy products.
• Strip House is offering a 34 oz. Cote du Boeuf for 2 at their restaurants to celebrate National Steakhouse month.

 

The marketing possibilities are a plenty! And don’t forget to make sure your offers and special are heard by spreading the word through popular social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

More salt is not always the answer if you’re looking for more flavor. A chef needs to be creative when working in the kitchen, constantly tweaking and innovating. Creating a dish with memorable flavor that keeps people wanting more is what it’s all about!

 

Here are 5 quick tips to help you add more flavor to your dishes.

 

1. Play with smoke – Smoke is a wonderful way to create a depth a flavor in a dish, especially in meats. Experiment with different barbecue woods like cherry, pecan, or oak – each wood has a distinct aroma and can pair well with certain ingredients.

2. Use fresh herbs – Don’t downplay the power of herbs! Fresh herbs are an excellent source to lend a vibrant flavor to a recipe. Consider growing an herb garden at your restaurant so your herbs are as fresh as can be. Try using fresh herbs where dry herbs are called for and don’t be afraid to test some you’ve never tried before.

3. Cook with wine –  A very versatile ingredient, wine can impart a variety of flavor notes based on what wines you use and how. Try using wines in marinades, sauces, baking, braising – the possibilities are vast.

4. Create unique house-made sauces – A sandwich just isn’t a sandwich without a great sauce or spread to accompany it. A special proprietary house-made sauce can be that little something that packs a great flavor-punch and keeps people coming back for more. Experiment with creating house-made aiolis, hummus, hot sauces and other dips to compliment your sandwiches, burgers and appetizers.

5. Remember umami – Umami is now widely accepted as our “fifth taste.” Utilizing umami-rich foods in your cooking can offer your guests that savory satisfaction their tastebuds desire. Read our special article about the power of umami and how you can apply it to your cooking.

 

Organic food is the highest growth sector of the grocery market today, climbing 9.5% to reach $31.5B in 2012¹. No longer confined to the walls of Whole Foods, organic products (food and otherwise) are cropping up in aisles from your local corner bodega to mass-market giants like Wal-Mart. More and more, the organic option has become synonymous with the better and healthier choice. But the truth is rarely that simple. So here are some top facts that unveil what that price premium really gets you.

 

1. Organic foods are defined as foods produced without synthetic or chemical fertilizers & pesticides and are exposed to genetic modification, industrial solvents, chemical food additives, sewage sludge, or radiation. However, it does not mean pesticide-free or chemical-free. Instead, any of the treatments for organic food must be derived from natural sources or “occur naturally”. USDA has an official list of approved substances; it includes spinosad (from certain soil bacteria), pyrethrin (from chrysanthemums) and azadirachtin (from the neem tree) – all of which have been classified as toxic by the EPA (environmental protection agency)².

 

1. Organic foods need to be certified by one of USDA’s third party certifiers to ensure it complies with all of the organic standards. This involves detailed planning processes, a hefty annual fee, and day-to-day record keeping. However, certifiers have different levels of strictness and within the industry, those with weaker products know there are certain organizations to flock to for that prized USDA Organic stamp (i.e. OCIA)³.

 

1. Certified Organic is not the same as 100% Organic. The former means 95% to 99% of the food falls into the definition of organically produced food but not completely. These two types of products can use the USDA Organic seal. For products with a minimum of 70% organic ingredients can be labeled “made with organic ingredients” and those that are made with specific organic ingredients can also boast the word “organic” on its packaging but neither of the last two can use the official seal⁴.

 

1. Only 100% Organic means the product is non-GMO (genetically modified organisms). In the U.S. there is currently no law requiring the labeling of GM products; seeing that 91% of soybeans planted in the U.S. are GM⁵ it is very likely you are not getting a pure product.

 

Organic is a good concept but truly informed buyers understand for the amount of loopholes in the system, many times it is just as much a marketing gimmick as it is a true insight into the quality of the product. Compared to the alternatives however, organic does generally imply a better product. But then, anything is tastier than the cardboard meat that Tyson passes off as chicken!

 

 

In the end, if quality is truly your top concern I recommend the age-old adage, shop seasonally and locally when possible. No matter how “organic” your strawberries may be, if you bought them in the middle of February they have traversed most of the globe to get to you. They’ve also probably suffered exposure to some compromising substance in order to keep them so nice and red and juicy upon delivery. Most produce tastes best when eaten as close to harvest date as possible, so go to the farmer’s market (GrowNYC has one along Broadway on Thursdays!) and pick up fresh veggies for your meal. This way you can also get a better grasp of what is in season when, access to a great array of new varietals, and assurance of a much more detailed screening process than grocery stores (NYC Greenmarkets have a very rigorous system of background checks for all vendors). So while organic is a good fallback plan, for true quality get closer to the source. Happy healthy eating!

 

 

 

 

 

 

¹ Organic Trade Association 2012 Organic Industry Survey

² NPR. Organic Pesticides: Not An Oxymoron

³ Interview with Joe Holtz, Founder of Park Slope Food Co-op

⁴ Oregon Tilth: Consumer & Labeling FAQ’s

⁵ USDA ERS – Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the U.S.

Interest in so-called “superfoods” has gained major traction in the last decade. Superfoods are defined as foods that are nutrient dense despite being relatively calorie sparse. Outlets for this family of foods have reached beyond specialty health food stores and into mass-market grocers. As consumers become more health-conscious and also more willing to explore the arena of new foods with “super” benefits, the demand for menus that include superfoods is also growing.

Despite the stigma, superfoods are actually much more approachable than they are generally regarded. In fact, there’s a high chance you’re already serving some (or all) of the superfoods below!

 

• Berries: blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are all packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Expand their utility beyond dessert by adding them to salads, turning them into a glaze for lean meats, and making berry-based smoothies.
• Oats: whole oats are a rich source of soluble fiber, B vitamins, and important minerals such as magnesium and phosphorus. Make them your go-to as toppings for desserts or grind them into flour to layer with regular all-purpose.
• Oily fish: fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel are filled with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and selenium. Keep fish interesting with a variety of different marinades that can incorporate this great protein into any cuisine.
• Legumes: peas, beans, and lentils pack a punch of protein, soluble fiber, B vitamins, and iron. These can serve as an easy way to provide vegetarian options in addition to adding nutrients to any side or main dish.
• Leafy green vegetables: the darker greens, such as kale, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, command higher levels of important nutrients such as vitamin C, folate, and sulforaphane. Mellow the intense flavors of these vegetables by incorporating them with other fruits and vegetables or blanching them lightly before using them in the final preparation for a dish.

The next step is to make it be known that you’re serving these ingredients that are both delicious and nutritious! Highlight popular dishes that include these superfoods on your menu, offer new varieties as specials, and have your waitstaff suggest them as options. Keep track of how these new changes are received at your restaurant and you’ll most likely be surprised at how positive the feedback will be! If you need want additional guidance on best practices to a healthier menu, please contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants.