Columns
Traditional time clocks could stave off wage-and-hour suits
(Nov. 16, 2009) — Over the last year or so, there’s been a big increase in the number of wage-and-hour suits brought against New York restaurateurs big and small, famous and, well, not as well known. more...
Dairy prices turn higher for the long haul as demand stabilizes
(Nov. 16, 2009) — The great dairy bear market of 2009 has ended. Too much milk, combined with a drop in global demand, led to the price collapse. But demand has stabilized, production is still contracting and the government is pouring money into price supports. As a result, it appears the current higher level of prices is here to stay. more...
Bustling neighborhood restaurants a sign of better days ahead in NYC
(Nov. 09, 2009) — Some odd things have happened in Manhattan since the recession set in. Cheap became chic, rents actually fell and many of the city’s most exclusive restaurants had empty tables. more...
Checking ID every time protects operations, only bothers minors
(Nov. 02, 2009) — All the bars in the town where I went to college had a reputation for being real hard-asses about checking ID, and they were so good at spotting fakes that almost nobody ever tried to use them. As bars in a college town, they knew there would be underage kids trying to get in, and they could get in a lot of trouble for serving them, so they were extra vigilant. The restaurants were a completely different story. more...
Round it Up proves small change adds up to a big deal for charity
(Oct. 26, 2009) — When it comes to raising money for good causes, restaurants are pretty good about doing the gala dinners or golf tournaments. more...
Dining makes an impression, so make sure to give the right one
(Oct. 19, 2009) — My wife and I recently moved from New York City to the suburbs of Long Island, where both of us spent our formative years. While I was sad to leave the food capital of the world, the experience of actually moving turned us into possibly the industry’s best customers for the month of September. more...
IFMA’s Distributor Awards recognize three foodservice companies that do things right
(Oct. 19, 2009) — It’s always good to report on companies that are doing things right, especially in a prolonged downturn like the one we are in. Foodservice distributors who are “doing things right” can be judged by peers or by sales performance. I have the pleasure to report on both. more...
Chains profit with ‘staycation’ specials when guests cut travel
(Oct. 19, 2009) — One of the casualties of the current, long-running economic malaise has been foreign travel. Over the past decade, the number of Americans venturing abroad had escalated steadily, driven at least in part by culinary tourism, or our desire to visit an exotic location, eat and drink like the locals and then brag about those dining adventures. more...
Old-school attention to detail keeps folks coming to Caspers
(Oct. 12, 2009) — I drove 172 miles for a dog last summer. The road trip was spurred by a desire to get reacquainted with the Caspers Famous Hot Dogs chain. It might have been 20 years since my last visit to a Caspers location. Eight-unit, Lafayette, Calif.-based Caspers marks its 75th year in business in 2009. It is known for dogs with casings that snap when you bite into them and is jointly owned by Asbek Inc. and Janrus Inc., who also co-own SPAR Sausage Co. more...
Be wary of ugly food, as amateur photos have potential to go viral
(Oct. 05, 2009) — When unappetizing food shots from the London newspaper the Guardian began making the rounds a few weeks ago, it was photographic evidence of the need for operators to improve their unit-level training. more...
Past wisdom shows there’s still a lot to learn at MUFSO
(Sep. 28, 2009) — Since its inception, MUFSO attendees have had the opportunity to listen to hundreds of the industry’s top leaders and mentors as they shared their thoughts about the restaurant industry and business in general. Much of what these speakers shared over the past half decade is just as pertinent to today’s operators as it was to those in 1959. The following quotations give some hint of the ideas that were expressed by participants at past events. more...
Piece of cake: Dot Foods’ Sample Express simplifies product deomonstrations
(Sep. 21, 2009) — “A picture is worth a thousand words,” the old adage says. In foodservice sales, a sample is worth a thousand pictures. There is nothing like tasting, smelling, touching or feeling a product to understand its true benefits to your operation, whether it’s a new ready-to-bake muffin, a reformulated sauce or a next-generation green cleaning supply—no tasting of that last one, of course. Yet, sampling has been one of the most difficult services to execute. Dot Foods, the redistributor based in Mt. Sterling, Ill., has addressed that problem with Sample Express. more...
What’s in a name? A real hit, for rebranded Big Papi’s Grill
(Sep. 21, 2009) — Names may have held little importance to Shakespeare, but then he wasn’t running a restaurant. When Juliet said a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, the Bard made it clear that nomenclature was less important than essence. Burton “Skip” Sack, Peter Sarmanian and Bill Goodwin, all of Classic Restaurant Concepts LLC, have discovered otherwise. Essence is important, but names matter, too. more...
DSRs with culinary experience becoming more common as distributors embrace that expertise
(Sep. 21, 2009) — All sales jobs are challenging, but you have to love what you do to be a distributor sales rep, or DSR. It takes knowledge of technology and love of gadgets to sell an iPhone or a Blackberry. But what if you have 10,000 products in your warehouse? If you’re selling smart phones, people will come to you or buy online. What if you had to drive to eight customers a day, spending close to one-third of your time behind the wheel? If you’re selling technology, you might have to explain the bells and whistles to inexperienced customers. What if you actually had to help your customers run their businesses to ensure their survival? more...
Lower feed prices offer some relief for protein producers
(Sep. 21, 2009) — Corn at $3—the notion was unimaginable a year ago when corn was at $5.49, or even two months ago, when it was at $4.48. more...
MUFSO gives industry 50 years’ worth of memorable moments
(Sep. 14, 2009) — Like any event whose life span stretches into five decades, MUFSO has had its fair share of memorable moments. more...
Sommeliers who offer wine for retail can win loyal customers
(Sep. 14, 2009) — It’s a common experience: Customers fall in love with a wine at their favorite restaurant but can’t locate a place to buy that same bottle to drink at home. more...
Pork fad should go belly up to highlight other cuts
(Sep. 14, 2009) — “No more pork belly!” more...
Keep customers, business healthy by taking care of allergy sufferers
(Sep. 07, 2009) — Years ago, while working as a server, I waited on a customer with particularly specific requests. Because of food allergies, she couldn’t eat tomatoes, garlic or onion. more...
Houston’s becomes first name in resistance to menu labeling
(Aug. 31, 2009) — For the past year and a half, New York City has been at the center of the menu-labeling controversy, having enacted the first legislation requiring chain restaurant operators to post caloric content on menus and menu boards. more...
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