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!

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

When you think of McDonald’s service (or any fast food restaurant service for that matter), you may envision a drive-thru window or perhaps ordering your food at the counter. Well, McDonald’s is aiming to change that image!

According to Restaurant Business Online, McDonald’s will be expanding kiosk ordering and table service to all of its 14,200 U.S. locations. The touch-screen kiosks are available for meal customization, allowing service to be streamlined through the convenience new technology. It’s clear that McDonald’s is aiming to shake things up, including the addition of craft burgers and new two additional Big Mac sizes.

More below:

Beverages can be a profit-minded operator’s best friend, attracting and keeping patrons and providing a high-margin source of revenues.

 

According to Synergy’s new beverage expert George Barton, who has spent 35 years in casual dining operations, “The beverage segment is all about how quickly styles change, and it’s easy to fall into a sea of sameness. If you don’t stay current with the trends, you’ll fall behind.

 

“This is especially true with the Millennial generation, who are quick to shift from brand to brand and trend to trend,” adds Barton. “These consumers know what they want and are very demanding when it comes to their purchase behavior away-from-home.”

 

Here, Barton shares some ideas and trend information for keeping pace with what today’s guests want from beverages.

 

1. Social media is key. A well-designed social media program that supports bar sales can attract new customers within 24-36 hours, says Barton. “If you’re not on social media, you’re missing out.
2. Mixologists are the new chefs. Today’s successful beverage programs are keyed to the voice of the bartender or mixologist, and reflecting his or her point of view. “This is Millennial serving Millennial, and a good mixologist will have the ability to generate new ideas and innovations,” explains Barton.
3. Flavor is just as important with beverages as it is for food. “From acai to wasabi, there are 250 or more flavors that can be incorporated into cocktails,” explains Barton. “Today there is unprecedented demand for sweet flavors that resonate well in drinks, driving sales of mojitos, margaritas, and the like.
4. Look to the late-night segment. This is a unique meal period that didn’t exist a generation ago, and it integrates food and beverages in entirely different ways, says Barton. At both Happy Hour and after-hours, the bar has become a meeting place that’s about social interaction, and meeting friends.
5. Don’t forget the food. Chefs and operators are including snacks and bar food in their beverage strategies, and pouring resources and talent into bar menus. “This is blurring the line between the bar with good food, and the restaurant with a great food.” From typical fare like pizza, sliders and wings to more chef-driven items like shrimp and grits, short ribs, and crab cakes, great food strengthens bar sales.
6. Consistently drive change. Beverage programs can’t be an afterthought, insists Barton. “You have to stay fresh and innovate, and either follow or drive change,” he says. “And remember that it’s relatively easy to implement change, but much more difficult to integrate into the culture. It’s all too common for a brand to come up with eight or 10 new items, test them out, purchase new equipment and train staff, but the initiative fails because it couldn’t be integrated into the existing system.
7. Look to growth categories for excitement and sales. Like fashion—and food for that matter—beverages follow the trends. Here are some that are especially important right now:

• Craft beer – With more than 3,500 craft brewers in the U.S., creating unique, customized beers in different styles with different flavor profiles, craft beer is stealing share from mass market domestic brews
• Wine on tap—Once an object of derision, wine on tap is taking on a new posture and better quality, and according to Barton it’s easy to serve, cost-effective and looks good at the bar
• Rum drinks—The popularity of sweet drinks has seen an explosion of interest in tiki drinks, punches, Caribbean- and tropical-themed cocktails and even shareable drinks like Scorpion Bowls
• Brown spirits—Whisky, bourbon, rye and even Cognac are on fire, says Boston, inspiring many dedicated whisky-bar and menu concepts devoted to the spirits, as well as cocktails ranging from traditional Old Fashioneds to on-trend bourbon smashes
• Non-alcoholic specialties—Items like smoothies, slushies, flings and energy drinks can be even more profitable than alcoholic beverages, to say nothing of specialty coffee and tea and related treats like flat whites or chai
• Sangria—This refreshing beverage is well-suited to shareable pitcher service, and offers the flavor or wine with the sweet kick of fruit and fruit juice or a spirited addition like Cointreau. Sangria is light and festive, the perfect “patio drink,” as Barton describes it, and the profitability is hard to match

 

Contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants if you would like information about improving your beverage program.

 

There’s been a lot of news lately about chefs with “live-fire” restaurants—concepts that are fueled by wood-fired grills, ovens, rotisseries and more. There’s Rick Bayless in Chicago with his new Lena Brava, which will celebrate the regional cuisine of Baja and the obsession with craft beer (it’s part of Cruz Blanca Cerveceria) and mezcal culture. There’s Speedy Romeo in Brooklyn and the Lower East Side of Manhattan, featuring wood-oven pizza and wood-grilled specialties like burgers, ribs, wings and chicken parm. Jonathan Waxman’s iconic roasted chicken gets it start in a woodburning oven before resting, and is finished to order on the grill.

 

There’s no doubt that “playing with fire” can produce spectacular results, while creating an atmosphere of authenticity and culinary artisanship, especially when the wood oven and grill are part of an exhibition kitchen.

 

But Tim Green, our resident pizza guru and an expert in artisan cooking platforms, argues that it isn’t necessary to use solid fuel (which includes wood, hardwood charcoal and, to a lesser extent, coal) to get delicious results. And for some operations, it’s probably ill-advised.

 

“Solid fuel requires tremendous commitment—of money, space, labor and management,” says Green, who previously served as corporate chef for Wood Stone Corporation and has been involved in literally hundreds of artisan cooking installations and pizza concept launches. And while foods cooked over wood on equipment such as a grill or rotisserie will pick up flavor from the smoke, enclosed ovens are a different matter. “Most customers would be unable to tell the difference in flavor and texture between a pizza cooked in a wood oven versus one cooked in a gas-fired stone-hearth oven. So there needs to be a very good reason to use a wood oven for cooking instead of gas or propane.”

 

A good stone-hearth oven can do anything a wood-fired oven can, with a lot less muss and fuss, continues Green. “Stone hearth ovens are known for the wonderful pizza they produce. Beyond that, they of course bake amazing rustic breads, as well as being great for cooking whole animals and large cuts of meats, whole chickens and turkeys, overnight braising, and roasting vegetables. You can even roast bones and produce delicious stocks out of one. Basically you can build an entire menu out of a stone hearth oven.”

 

For such a simple technology, wood ovens and other solid-fuel equipment can actually be very complex operationally, not to mention costly. The oven itself must be substantial: Solid fuel generates tremendous wear-and-tear on systems that will have to withstand temperatures in excess of 1200 degrees every day. A wood oven also needs to provide longevity. “This will hopefully be the last oven that you will ever purchase for your restaurant,” says Green. “The challenge of installing them due to their size can make it very costly to replace.”

 

It’s not just the oven, either. “Many regions of North America no longer even allow for solid fuel equipment,” points out Green. “Other jurisdictions may ask you to use complex and costly ventilation systems to eliminate odors and smoke going into the air.” Operators will normally be committed to a Type 1 Hood System with Ansul fire suppression, as well as Type 1 Grease Duct Vent Pipe, which can cost about $200 per foot to install.  Depending upon your municipality the cost of ventilation could range between $20,000- $50,000, in addition to the oven itself, which can run $25,000 to $50,000 or more, before the façade.

 

In addition, a standard ventilation system should be cleaned at least every other month, if not every month—most fires that occur in restaurant with solid fuel equipment start in the ventilation system that has not been cleaned.

 

Then there is the issue of the wood. “It must be a heavy hardwood,” says Green. “This includes species of nut, orchard fruits like apple, oak, maple, almond, and mesquite, never conifers and never lumber.” The wood must be well-seasoned, with an interior moisture content between 10-18%; if the moisture content is higher, the wood will not create a good open flame or produce coals properly.

 

Wood should be sized specifically to the needs of the oven, normally 14-16 inches long, and 2-5 inches in diameter. Charcoal is commonly available in mesquite and also in other carbonized hardwoods such as oak and maple. Manufactured briquettes should not be used, as they are made from the sawdust of scrap wood (including resinous soft woods and composite woods) combined with chemical binders and filler. “They’re slower to light, and often require lighter fluid, which you definitely do not want anywhere near your food,” as Green says.

 

Burnt fuel means ashes, which must be handled with extreme caution. “When removing ashes it is extremely important to have a sturdy fireproof vessel in which to hold them,” says Green, because in a busy restaurant it’s not always possible to wait until all the ashes are totally dead. “So we have to take extra care to avoid burning ourselves”—gloves, training, and vigilance are mandatory. “And make sure everyone knows how to use a fire extinguisher.”

 

And don’t forget to think about the storage of wood before deciding on a solid-fuel grill or oven. Green suggests that storage facilities be ample for a two-week supply, preferably outdoors, and designed to keep wood dry but not fully enclosed.

 

With all the challenges and expenses associated with solid fuel cooking, cooking with wood delivers amazing taste with depth and character.  At the end of the day, if you want to out maneuver the competition, you need to have great tasting and distinctive food.  Wood-fired cooking offers captivating aromas, delicious food and the visual pleasure of seeing food cooked with a true artisan technique.  When deciding which oven is best for their restaurant, operators must carefully weigh the benefits of solid-fuel cooking with the challenges and operational complexity that come along with it.

 

 

 

 

Every few days, we hear of a new pop-up restaurant opening. Some for a few days or weeks, open to public, and others in secret locations for a night or two only. In taking a look at their soaring popularity, let’s consider why diners are hooked and operators continue to offer them.

 

The Appeal to Diners

Today, people are after the new, the unique. On one hand, dining out is an increasingly everyday occurrence for a growing portion of the population. With that in mind, for special occasions and nights out, however, the average dinner is no longer enough. People are looking for adventure. Guests seek something they can brag to their friends about, or bring them along to. Essentially, pop-ups offer in-the-moment action worthy of Instagram.

 

The Appeal to Operators

For operators, pop-ups are a great way to test a new restaurant concept. By letting guests have a “trial” of a concept, you’ll get feedback, as casually or formally as you’d like. Operators can then make tweaks, seeing what worked and what did not, before making the financial, energetic and location-based commitment of a permanent brick-and-mortar concept.

 

What’s more, if managed and promoted properly, pop-ups can be quite profitable. Pop-up diners aren’t looking for a deal or everyday value. Guests will pay as much or more than they would for the same meal as a brick-and-mortar experience.

 

Are pop-ups here to stay? Over the years, and ins one markets, pop-up restaurants’ popularity may wane a bit, but this ever-changing style of eating and unique way of presenting food and culinary ideas will stick around in one way or another.

 

Menu photo credit: Soon Lee license CC by SA 2.0

Ottolenghi was just the first sign. Google the name Yotam Ottolenghi or his London restaurant Nopi or his four eponymous delis and you also get eight cookbooks, three television shows and more articles in the food press than you can shake a pita bread at. Collectively, this empire gives a glimpse on what could be the Next Big Thing in global cuisine: Israeli food.

 

Now comes news that another big name in the field, Michael Solomonov, is set to move beyond his eight-year-old Philadelphia restaurant Zahav, with a variety of new Israeli-cuisine projects. There is already a cookbook, and a “hummusiya,” called Disengoff, that serves a rotating array of Israeli-style hummus ranging from traditional tehina to mushroom, black eyed pea, carrot, chicken, and even lamb pistachio, along with housemade pita and Israeli pickles and salads. Sundays see the addition of shakshuka, which amounts to the Israeli national breakfast.

 

Along with business partner Steven Cook, Solomonov will bring Disengoff to and its many kinds of hummus to Manhattan’s Chelsea Market food hall, introducing a much broader audience to this versatile and widely popular food. (The two men also operate the more mainstream Federal Donuts, with five units in the City of Brotherly Love, under the CookNSolo restaurant umbrella.)

 

It’s not hard to see why Israeli cuisine is poised for takeoff. Like Mediterranean food, the cooking of Israel is healthy, vegetable-forward, and bright with the flavors of a sunny, warm climate. It’s also multicultural and getting more so, as settlers of different ethnicities continue to arrive in Israel, adding to a mix that already reflects its German, Russian, Balkan and North African heritage.

 

And despite its exoticism, the cuisine is relatively simple and approachable, emphasizing items like the “small plates” called mezze (many of them salads and dips), grilled meats, rice dishes, savory pastries, and both Ashkenazi and Sephardic specialties such as gefilte fish, couscous and stuffed vegetables.

 

In addition to the hummus, falafel, kebabs and kibbeh (ground meat mixed with bulgur wheat and mint) that are popular throughout the Middle East, there are several Israeli dishes that seem especially appropriate to today’s global food trends.

 

Baba ghanoush – smoky grilled eggplant, mixed into a spread with lemon juice, garlic and tahini (sesame paste)

Borekas (a.k.a. burekas, bourekas) – a family of baked, triangular phyllo pastries stuffed with any number of fillings

Israeli Salad – chopped cucumbers, onions, tomatoes and parsley dressed with lemon juice, olive oil garlic and mint

Labneh – thickened yogurt that can be eaten as is, with olive oil and the spice mix known as za’atar, or mixed with other ingredients, such as crushed almonds or dukkah (coriander, cumin, and sesame seeds with hazelnuts)

Majadara – rice and lentil pilaf

Malawach – Yemenite fried bread similar to a thick pancake

 

The real excitement, however, is the kind of creative and elevated fare that chefs like Ottolenghi and Solomonov are doing, showcasing the delicious ingredients of Israel and other Middle Eastern areas. These include fruits and vegetables like figs, pomegranates, citrus, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes; beans and legumes; chicken and lamb; bulgur and other grains as well as couscous; and flavorings such as olives and olive oil, honey, ginger, sumac, garlic, saffron, fresh herbs, exotic spice blends and more. With a pantry like this, there’s no end to what could happen next.
For more information on Israeli ingredients, check out this article.

 

Old Homestead. The Palm. Gene & Georgetti. Lawry’s. These iconic steakhouses are still going strong, and they’re still the place to get a big steak, a side of creamed spinach, and a double dose of whiskey and dark wood paneling.

 

But they’re no longer the definition of what a steakhouse is. Over the last decade—and particularly during the last two to three years—the steakhouse paradigm has undergone a seismic shift. Dad’s manly steak joint has become a more inclusive model designed to appeal to women, and younger, more food-savvy patrons (particularly Millennials).

 

Take Edge Steak & Bar, in Miami. The vibe and menu are not only distinctive and casual, they also represent the flavor, excitement and climate of that unique Latin-accented city. It’s a hot spot, in other words, with a scene-bar and rooftop terrace, and a diverse bill of fare that includes items like churrasco steak with chimichurri sauce, and local fish like Key West pink shrimp ceviche, stone crab, and basil-crusted corvina. This “steak lite” approach attracts young locals and with-it tourists with smaller cuts of protein, and more appetizers and sides to provide that all-important social experience of sharing. And don’t forget the coconut-foam specialty cocktails, creative mocktails and bar bites menu.

 

Or Aspen Kitchen, in Colorado, with its promise of hearty, rustic American food and expansive outdoor patio; no darkened booths here, what with three walls of windows overlooking the slopes. But make no mistake: There is a serious steak program here, anchored by a glass-enclosed aging room lined with pink salt bricks, for 30- and 44-day dry-aged ribeyes and New York steaks. But there’s also a full menu of Shares, Appetizers and Mains touting choices like chickpea fries with fennel pollen, kale salad and monkfish osso buco.

 

Meanwhile, many old-line steakhouses like Smith & Wollensky’s and Del Frisco’s Double Eagle have introduced smaller, more casual prototypes (Wollensky’s Grill and Del Frisco’s Grille) aimed at wooing younger diners with taproom/grill ambience and more reasonable prices. The new steakhouse format appeals to a new generation by featuring a more casual vibe and a menu showcasing shareables, fun appetizers, and smaller, more affordable steaks and protein dishes, as well as lighter items such as seafood and salads.

 

From our explorations of recently opened steakhouses around the country, we’re seeing a lot of the following signifiers:

 

1. The ambiance is lively, casual, bright and high-energy, often with an exhibition kitchen

2. The décor is more open, with more emphasis on the bar (and perhaps even the option of dining at the bar or in the bar era)

3. The steak program may tout on-premise butchering, an aging room, or other representations of quality

4. Sourcing is important and transparent; beef may be a premium type such as Angus or Wagyu, or sustainable (grass-fed, natural, local, ranch-raised, etc.), and this goes for non-beef ingredients as well

5. The menu includes lots of appetizers, salads, shareables, and small plates; some of these may be very whimsical (cue lobster corndogs and deviled eggs)

6. Protein portion sizes are relatively small compared with those of old-line steakhouses, but so are the tariffs

7. There may be a la carte sides but there are also starches and veggies on the plates to skew costs in a more affordable direction

8. There are beef cuts you may not associate with traditional steakhouses—or even recognize—like skirt steak, sirloin tip, bavette or shoulder clod

9. Flavor is emphasized through techniques such as rubs, smoking, sauces, and garnishes/sides, rather than straightforward grilling

10. Signature cooking techniques are emphasized, such as salt-brick, planked, sous vide, applewood-grilled, butter-basted or sear-roasted (for example, a steak might be cooked on a grill or in a black-iron pan, then transferred to an oven for finish)

11. Beef-based comfort foods like meatloaf, meatballs, and Stroganoff provide options to steaks, as well as good utilization of trim, off-cuts, and other products

12. Braised meats such as pork shank, slow-cooked brisket and lamb tagine evince kitchen craftsmanship and allow for the use of non-primal cuts

13. Items like roast or fried chicken, pasta, and plenty of fresh seafood address the veto vote that might accompany a more traditional beef-based menu

14. The service isn’t intimidating; it’s aprons rather than tuxes, friendly rather than standoffish, involved rather than detached

15. There’s a robust craft cocktail program, highlighting signature house imbibes and a large selection of specialty spirits, as well as craft beer and interesting wines by the glass

 

At Synergy, we’re predicting that steakhouses will continue to become more all-inclusive while at the same time differentiating around the steak/beef specialty. Menus will be more diverse—more appetizers, different kinds of proteins, braised items, etc.—but steaks will become more specialized as to type and cooking method. Separate steak and grill menu sections will highlight particular types of meat, such as grass-fed, as well as signature cooking methods, such as broiled and butter-basted or cooked over a specific type of wood. The cooking method, in other words, will be key to the steak part of the equation, but the overall concept will be more like a chef-driven restaurant.

 

It should be an interesting ride.

If you’ve noticed the proliferation of Mediterranean menu concepts lately, you’re not alone.

The “Mediterranean Diet” first came into the American public consciousness in the 1990s, but it’s a lifestyle that’s been practiced around the Med Rim—in Greece, Spain, Southern France and Italy, the Middle East and North Africa—since the beginning of recorded time.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats like olive oil, and a lot of fish and poultry rather than red meat characterize Mediterranean cuisine. Sound familiar? It’s a “diet” that’s both healthy and satisfying (especially when you throw in red wine for good measure), and it’s also easy to follow.

Several Mediterranean specialties have achieved breakout status in recent years, including hummus, pesto, tabbouleh, flatbreads, falafel, marinated olives, kebabs and other simply grilled meat and chicken items, and Greek and Niçoise salads. And of course there’s the runaway popularity of Greek yogurt.

Mediterranean food appeals to the increasingly influential Millennial and Generation Z demographic cohort, including those who follow plant-based, vegetarian and vegan diets

Not surprisingly, a number of fast casual chains have moved into the arena, codifying and popularizing the Mediterranean magic. These include Zoe’s Kitchen, Pipieri, Verts Mediterranean Grill (formerly Verts Kebap), Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill and I Dream of Falafel. There are even concepts that specialize in hummus variations.

 

Why the sudden interest? A number of major food and menu trends intersect where Mediterranean lives, including:

• Menu customization and “made-for-me” food
• Meatless menu options
• Convenience and portability
• Fresh, healthy ingredients and menu items
• New global food concepts and flavors… that are still approachable
• Better food quality and overall experience than traditional QSR (and guests’ willingness to pay a little more for it)
• Distinctive breads as a menu platform
• The evolution of a new “upscale QSR” space between fast food and fast casual

 

For operators, the space not only appeals to Millennial entrepreneurs, but it also offers relatively low food costs; operational flexibility (note how a limited number of fillings/toppings and platforms can create a salad, wrap or flatbread, or plated menu item); and adaptability to multiple locations, including not only traditional streetside and pad locations but also colleges, airports and retail food courts.

 

At Synergy, we have been involved in the development of several Mediterranean menu projects and have been tracking the trend’s rise. Reach out to us if you’d like more information.

Gone are the days of pizza being the only food you can get delivered to your home. These days, if you’ve got a hankering for pho, cheeseburgers or barbeque ribs, more than likely you can have these delivered to you in a timely manner. Too lazy to drive to your local smoothie shop? Try using popular food delivery services such as DoorDash, UberEats or Grubhub.

 

With a growing number of consumers factoring in food delivery as a feature for rating a restaurant, the amount of third-party delivery services are on the rise. In addition to the listed services above, there are also the following available: Postmates, Amazon Prime Now (which also offers grocery delivery), and Eat24 with delivery times ranging anywhere from 4 minutes to about an hour.

 

If you’re a restaurant owner thinking of outsourcing your deliveries, these services may be the answer for you. However, be aware of the potential large fee you may have to pay as a percentage of the sale. Also, be mindful that delivery, whether utilizing your own employees or a third-party service, may affect the quality of your food. Check out these great tips from Restaurant Business Online on quality cues you can control.