Let’s face it – we love being spoiled by convenience. Technology has enabled us to free up our time and our hands, be it in the office, the home and especially the kitchen. If you were to ask any chef what their most valuable tools are in the kitchen, they’d probably answer with, “my knives and my cookware.”

Good pots and pans have been the cornerstone of good cuisine since the very first kitchen. If you think about it, there are many methods of cooking each using a different pot or pan – ones for sautéing, roasting, grilling and even just for stir-frying. How would you like it if you didn’t even have to touch the pan to cook? Cooks rejoice, because your new sous-chef will be doing all of the stir-frying.

On a recent Asian eating trip to Singapore I had the opportunity to see a new fast food wok concept in the Singapore airport called Ruyi, and was fascinated with their fast and efficient approach to cooking fried rice and noodles. Are you running an Asian restaurant with stir-fry on the menu? Free up your chefs’ hands and increase productivity; meet the Robotic Wok. They call it a “Robo Chef” or “Robo Wok” but we just like to call it amazing. Being used in the fast-food sector in Singapore and other Asian countries, this revolutionary device aims for efficiency in the kitchen and ultimately savings in labor and increased productivity output.

Your really just have to see it for yourself. Check out my video of this amazing innovation that truly takes efficiency to a whole new level. Notice the consistency in the tossing and how the chef pours the sauce directly into the wok, allowing the bot to do the rest:

So what’s the price tag on this bad boy? Japanese company MIK, who sells another similar version to one shown in our video, has their robotic wok at a reported cost of $10,900 according to this Eater.com article.

Would you consider implementing this at your restaurant? What innovations are you currently using?

Are you a foodie? Let’s examine what the word really means. Merriam-Webster defines the term “foodie” as, “a person having an avid interest in the latest food fads.” So, to set the record straight, you technically can’t be a foodie simply because you like to eat a lot. And actually, a recent USA today article, “Foodies enjoy different tastes than the rest of us,” delves further into this citing that foodies actually prefer bitter, sour and umami (savory) flavors over the typical preferences of the general population, which favors sweet and salty tastes.

As restaurant owners, what can you learn from your average foodie and how can you use this information to help your business? We already know that foodies like to try new things, and their taste buds seek unusual flavor profiles. And even more importantly, it is also a good assumption that foodies are trendsetters – making efforts to try the new and often unexplored cuisines, proudly announcing to their peers and strangers (blogging, Yelping and Tweeting are a foodie’s best friends) of the daring, exotic, and crazy dishes they’ve so bravely eaten.  So look at your menu. What kind of dishes do you have that are worthy enough to entice this coveted target market?

Looking for menu ideas? Check out our list interesting ways you can add some foodie flair to your current dishes.

–          Make it hot: add some spice to your menu. If you serve burgers, for example, try dishing out a spicy-style burger by incorporating some habanero or Thai chili peppers into an aioli as a unique spread. Works for sandwiches, too!

–          Pucker up: twist up some menu items by adding a sour touch. Have a signature fruit cocktail? Try introducing exotic citrus fruit into it, such as yuzu, kumquats or loquats whose flavors are described as sweet and sour. Refreshing non-alcoholic sour beverages using these ingredients also work well.

–          Bitter is better. Try creating a kale salad with your chef’s special house-made vinaigrette. Bittermelon soup would be sure to awaken anyone’s tastebuds. And if baking’s your specialty, create an intense bitter dark chocolate cake topped, topped with chocolate covered coffee beans – a real gourmet treat.

–          The fifth taste: Umami. These flavors can be achieved by utilizing various ingredients such as soy sauce (don’t forget miso), fish sauce, fermented veggies (think kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut), mushrooms, cheese, seafood, beef, and pork. Check out StarChef.com’s list of top umami-rich ingredients for more ideas. Imagine the multitude of ways in which you can integrate these items into your current dishes.

Still stumped? Remember: the key is to think outside of the box! If you’d like to have your menu analyzed, contact Synergy Consultants.

As much as you may wish there was a Margarita Monday, “Meatless Monday” is being served up around the globe in homes and restaurants alike. That’s right! Meat lovers, please don’t consider this day as a kind of punishment because in actuality, Meatless Monday is an international campaign and movement with the goal of increasing your health and helping the environment.

Founded in 2003, the program’s popularity and roster of participants continues to grow strong to this day. According to the Meatless Monday website, “Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel.” There is little questioning the fact that reducing the consumption of meat has many health benefits and not only that, it truly helps us move away from the mundane and experiment with new exciting flavors and ingredients in the kitchen.

You’re favorite celebrities, chefs, bloggers, neighbors and schools are already a part of the initiative. Notable names include Giada De Laurentis, Denise Richards, James Cameron, Russell Simmons, Marilu Hunner, Robin Roberts, Padma Lakshmi, Sir Paul McCartney and Jessica Simpson (just to name a few!). Many of these advocates share healthy meatless recipes with their audiences.

Watch more about Meatless Monday here

And lucky you, if you don’t know your way around your own kitchen, there are many Meatless Monday participating restaurants. The Tender Greens and Lime Fresh are among some chains that are participants.See the full list here.

Restaurant owners, have you considered joining the campaign? Share your Meatless Monday menu with us!

There is something to be admired for the baker willing to push the envelope for the sake of an unforgettable indulgent experience. Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of note-worthy untraditional cupcakes flavors from various bakeries in the U.S.. This ain’t your grandma’s spice cupcake, so leave your fond childhood memories behind and get your taste buds ready for an extreme cupcake-tasting! Warning – some of these flavors may not be suitable for the timid:

This Little Piggy Cupcake: The Cupcakery – This seasonal cupcake (available in October) is vanilla, topped with maple buttercream frosting rolled in applewood smoked bacon crumbs and is drizzled with maple syrup.

Merry Margartia Cupcake: Gigi’s Cupakes –  To all you mixed drink lovers, here’s the cupcake for you. Gigi’s offers margarita flavored yellowcake iced with margarita cream cheese frosting and rimmed in sugar crystals.

Chicken and Waffles Cupcake aka Late Night Breakfast: My Delight Cupcakery – Yes, you heard correct. You don’t have to go to Roscoe’s for your chicken and waffles fix; this original cupcake has a buttermilk based and stuffed with fried chicken and topped with buttery maple frosting.

Chicken Wing Cupcake: Coccadotts – While we’re on the topic of chicken, how about an order of a dozen chicken wing cupcakes for the big game? This is no joke! Offered during football season, Coccadotts whipped up these special batches make of cornbread and bleu cheese frosting topped with a real chicken wing!

Fat Elvis: Saint Cupcake – If you guessed there’d be bananas and peanut butter in this cupcake creation you are spot-on. Fat Elvis is made of banana chocolate chip poundcake iced with salty-sweet peanut butter fudge and topped with a banana chip.

Sunkist Chocolate: Cake Fetish – an orange-infused chocolate cake iced with orange buttercream, chocolate ganache and an orange slice.

Cannoli Cupcake: Cupcakes by Carousel – a vanilla cake, topped with an Italian-style cannoli cheese frosting, dipped in crushed cannoli shells and mini chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chip Pancake Mini Cupcake – Baked by Melissa – these minis are not much larger than a quarter and are dangerously delicious! This chocolate chip pancake mini is topped with maple syrup icing and mini chocolate chips.

Tried any of the cupcakes on our list? Share your experience or tell us about your favorite cupcake bakery!

Who doesn’t love fresh waffles and sweet sausage, drenched in warm maple syrup for breakfast? Well, how about eating waffles for lunch? Too sweet? Take a look at the savory waffle sandwich menu at Bruxie Gourmet Waffle Sandwiches: buttermilk fried chicken & waffle with chili honey and cider slaw; prosciutto & gruyere with whole grain and mustard chives; Michael Cordon Bleu smoked salmon and dill cream cheese, cucumbers and chives, just to name a few. Maybe after dinner your sweet tooth will kick in so that you can try their Nutella and bananas, lemon cream and berries, PB& J, or seasonal crème bruelee waffles.

Hungry yet? Bruxie a relatively new concept originating in Orange County, California, focuses on delivering Belgian Waffles in new ways – sweet and savory, using gourmet ingredients wherever possible. Bruxie’s popularlity is spreading quickly – they are already opening a third location in Orange County and they’ve earned the outstanding number 2 rank of the most popular restaurant in the U.S. on Yelp in 2011.

So what’s a Bruxie? According to their website, a Bruxie is “a new take on the authentic Belgian Waffle…the Bruxie is light, crisp, yeasty and not sweet. It’s street food that’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, midday snack as well as dessert or late night treat.”

If your palate is less adventurous, don’t fear, Bruxie offers traditional breakfast items on their menu. Bruxie plans to open their third location in Rancho Santa Margarita, California sometime in April or May.

We’re not just talking about thick cut fries with potato skins – new and exciting twists to a typically unsexy and neglected food part (the potato skin) are happening at an upscale restaurant near you. Maybe it’s because the potato is so commonly known as a comfort food (mashed potatoes anyone?) for many that creative chefs are finding renewed interest in reinventing it.

How do potato skins with Taleggio cheese, Brussells sprouts and pancetta sound? You can grab a plate of these gourmet appetizers off Chef-restaurateur Anthony Pino’s catering menu for $9. At R2L in Philadelphia, you can indulge in Chef Daniel Stern’s stuffed potato skin creation – flesh of baked potatoes with bacon, deep fried in their skins servied with aged cheddar, bacon, scallions, and horse radish crème fraiche. Can’t make it out to Philly? Head on over to your local T.G.I. Friday’s® to try their massively popular potato skins which are fully loaded with melted cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, served with sour cream and green onions.

Read more about this restaurant food trend here. Be sure to also check out our article on potatoes 5 ways to inspire you menu.
Get more potato inspiration from this video:

Do you offer any unique comfort food menu items at your restaurant? How are you bringing excitement to your menu offerings? Share with us!

If you are a tea lover, you may have tried “boba milk tea,” the famous Tawainese-originated sweetened milk tea beverage made with soft, gummy tapioca pearls. This sweet and refreshing drink typically, made with black tea, sugar, milk (or condensed milk) and tapioca pearls, has also been the inspiration for numerous spin-offs. As popularity grew, so did the presence of many so-called “boba shops.” Franchises such as Tapioca Express and Lollicup are abound in California. But we recently discovered a very unique tea bar concept that incorporates boba drinks and much more.

At Tastea’s Garden Grove location in California, you wouldn’t be surprised to see a line almost out of the door on a Friday night. Their menu names are fun, and their drinks refreshing and enjoyable. Specializing in tea drinks, Tastea offers four categories of teas: “Classics” like Green Iced Tea, Thai Tea and Honeydew Milk Tea, “Specialteas” such as Bootea Shaker (mango peach & pineapple tea with black jelly), Sunset Peach (peach raspberry iced tea with mango bits), Tootea Fruitea (kiwi pineapple iced tea with diced jackfruit), “Simpliciteas” which are lightly sweetened white teas, include Blueberry Breeze and White Iced Teas. “Hotties” are Tatea’s classic teas served hot. Tastea also serves smoothies, slushies, coffee (look under “wake up calls”), shaved iced and snacks like popcorn chicken and fries. You can add in any “add ons” to your drink, too, most of which are Asian tropical fruits: lychee, jackfruit, longan, peaches, strawberry puree, black jelly, rainbow jelly, coconut jelly, egg pudding, mango bits, mochi, red beans, boba, aloe vera, and green beans.

Did you find their menu names interesting? They’ve also put a twist to their sizing – mini , gigantic and even more are the equivalents to small, medium and large. Also featured on the menu is each drinks calorie counts; the mini is great for those watching their calorie intake. Their “Smile Guarantee” is also placed on the wall for all to see: “… If for any reason you are not smiling with your drink, we’ll simply replace it or refund your money. It’s that simple.”

Check out what we ordered: the Mango All the Way! slushy freeze – an icy blend of mango and raspberry with green mango bits – tastea indeed!

In the age of ubiquitous smart phones, notebooks and tablets, it is clearly apparent that many people are closely attached to their electronic better-halves. And why not? Within a few taps or clicks, I can get driving directions, watch a movie, order a pizza or play a game with my friend in Beijing. If you’re a technology-lover, you can definitely appreciate a public area with free wi-fi internet. These days, there are many chains and franchises that offer free wifi including 11,500 participating McDonald’s restaurants, over 300 Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf locations, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A and even Bob Evan’s.

Being a restaurant owner, you are now asking yourself if it is a wise decision to offer free internet for your guests. When you offer free wi-fi access, you can expect repeat customers, more menu items ordered due to some patrons staying at their tables longer (think college students studying for exams), and increased guest satisfaction. Although the benefits of offering free internet to guests at restaurants are plentiful though it’s still important to understand the pitfalls as well. If you offer free wi-fi to your customers, think about the associated per month charges you will incur for internet, and also the opportunity costs. For example, some guests may occupy a table space for hours as they work on their laptops, while would-be patrons cannot find a table to seat themselves.

You should consider the following things before taking the plunge.

• What kind of food-service establishment do you run and who is your target audience? Offering internet makes more sense for fast-casual restaurants, diners and cafes versus fine-dining. It also is very appealing for attracting younger-aged markets like Millenials and Generation Y guest.
• Space and capacity – Does your establishment have enough electrical outlets for guests using laptops? Are you tables large and sturdy enough to support laptop use.
• Time limits and order minimums: Should you impose a free internet time limit so as to not turn down other patrons should table space run out? Should you offer free internet with a minimum purchase? These answers will vary depending on your restaurant’s unique situation.

Overall, many customers appreciate an restaurant that welcomes them to use their favorite smart devices for free. It allows them to view your establishment almost like a “third place” – somewhere outside of home and work where they can eat, work, and socialize.

If you have questions on implementing a free wi-fi strategy at your restaurant, contact Synergy Consultants.

The health-conscious are always on the lookout for healthy alternatives, and so too are nutritionists and dieticians. Instead of drinking milk, you should opt for almond or soy milk. Whole grain wheat bread is more nutritious than white bread. And up until now, many were led to believe that agave nectar was a great, healthier sweetener alternative to white/refined sugar.

Let’s take a closer look. The major factor that differentiates agave nectar from refined sugar is that it has a low glycemic index (GI) rating. In other words, unlike white sugar, agave nectar won’t cause high sugar spikes. Further, another “healthy” benefit is that agave nectar tends to leave you feeling “fuller” which may mean you might eat less.

Then why has there been some debate on whether or not agave nectar is a healthy sweetener? In fact, some are labeling it as one of the worst sweeteners!  It appears that many brands of agave nectar contain high levels of fructose – sometimes more than even high fructose corn syrup! The high fructose content can go directly to the liver, which can increase heart disease from the resulting increased production of triglycerides and it can also lead to insulin resistance.

Check out this list of the five best sweeteners that has the stevia plant rounded out the group at number one.

As with any sweetener, be it honey, white sugar or agave nectar, the key thing to note is too much of it will always be unhealthy – everything in moderation. If you own a restaurant, it is prudent to have available various sweeteners for your guest should they have specific dietary needs or preferences.

As a restaurant owner, you understand that the foodservice industry is exceptionally competitive and every guest truly counts. You realize the necessity of balancing the factors of cost, expenses and guest experience. Sometimes, it is hard to discover which area of your restaurant operation needs improvement. Can your guest wait time improve? Is your food served at the correct temperature? Are dishes consistent in flavor and texture? Are orders getting mixed up frequently? It is sometimes easy to overlook some issues such as these, but their effects can be heard loudly, especially from word of mouth and online reviews. If not acted upon swiftly, you could be looking at a steady decrease in sales.

The guest experience is one of the most critical aspects for restaurant success. You cannot only expect great food, or great décor to win over the discerning guest. If you’re feeling lost, here’s a tip to help you unearth problems that may be affecting guest experience and patronage at your restaurant.

Perform a web search for your restaurant’s name. You’ll likely find Yelp! or Google reviews pop-up near the top. Check out those listings and read each review carefully – you’ll be amazed at how much detail and insight some may provide. Sure, you may have heard that generally people usually have more bad things to say than good, but online reviewers, especially “Yelpers,” are typically genuinely sincere in their reviews and will rate accordingly. Sometimes, there may be a rare one-time issue but if you start to see a trend in complaints, well, there’s a great start to identifying a problem.

The main online review of a restaurant will critique particular dishes – whether they tasted too salty, sweet, dry, authentic, or delicious. Take ample notes to see if your dishes need adjusting. As much as there are food assessments, there are many accounts of either horrible or great customer service from wait staff. This is key because even if you serve the best Philly cheese steak sandwich on the entire East Coast, who will want to frequent your restaurant if your wait staff is slow or rude? You may even stumble upon reviews of the cleanliness of your tables and restrooms. A major concern of guests is whether or not the establishment they are about to eat at is sanitary or not!

Check out some common complaints posted in online reviews:

1)      Food was not as good as they hoped

2)      Rude staff or bad service

3)      Long lines

4)      Long wait time for food

5)      Bad parking

6)      Dirty bathrooms

7)      Limited menu

8)      Expensive

9)      Small portions

On the bright side, you can also see where you are shining and give yourself or your staff a pat on the back.

So do your homework and start looking for areas in which you can greatly improve your restaurant. If you need assistance, contact our restaurant consultants at Synergy.