BENCHMARK NEWS

A ‘Watershed’ Moment for Desalination

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 03:06:52 GMT

A Cutting-Edge Facility Generates Pure Water and Hydrogen Fuel

from Seawater for Mere Pennies

The last twenty-five years have been the driest quarter-century in the American West in the past 1,200 years. Therefore, desalination is now expected to play an increasing role in meeting growing water demand in California. While desalination has traditionally been a small contributor to California’s water supply because of its high costs, drought conditions and water shortages have driven cities to build desalination projects along the Pacific coast.

Hence, one might call the first three weeks of operations for a new, state-of-the-art seawater desalination plant in coastal China a ‘watershed’ moment for the industry.

Long held back by fundamental difficulties in turning seawater into pure water, this new installation beats out previous flagship desalination plants in Saudi Arabia and California in terms of cost-effectiveness, while adding a new valuable output—green hydrogen fuel.

For every 800 metric tons of seawater, the system delivers 118,877 gallons of pure fresh water, 192,000 standard cubic meters of green hydrogen fuel, and 350 metric tons of mineral-rich brine for marine chemical production.

That hydrogen is enough to power 50 city buses for around 4,600 zero emission-miles of routes each. The process of creating pure hydrogen fuel relies on electrolysis, which uses an electrical current to separate the oxygen atoms from the hydrogen atoms in water. If this process is done through renewable energy, then the result is ‘green’ hydrogen. If it’s powered by fossil fuels, it’s referred to in the industry as ‘grey’ hydrogen.

China's new Rizhao desalination and hydrogen facility creates green hydrogen by using the waste heat from a nearby steel foundry, making it not only green, but free—so long as China remains the steel manufacturing powerhouse that it is.

“This is not just about producing a canister of hydrogen; it opens up a new path for ‘extracting energy from the sea,’” reports a senior engineer at the Laoshan Laboratory, a marine research center in the port city of Qingdao.

Beyond the hydrogen fuel, the cost per cubic meter—the unit used by most of the world to measure water consumption for billing purposes—is a measly US$0.28. This is half the price of the water produced from the Saudi Water Authority’s massive desalination plant, which produces 52-times the amount of fresh water as the Rizhao plant.

It’s also a fraction of the cost of water from the Carlsbad Desalination Plant in California, which charges around $2.20 per cubic meter.

New Year’s Eve Traditions

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 03:09:22 GMT

The first New Year's celebration dates back 4,000 years to Julius Caesar, then emperor of Rome, who declared Jan. 1 a national holiday. He named the month after Janus, the Roman god of doors and gates who had two faces, one looking forward and one looking back.

Ever since, cultures around the world have commemorated the ending of one year and the beginning of another with special foods, music and other rituals.

If New Year’s Eve had an official carol, it would easily be “Auld Lang Syne.” Every year, just after the clock strikes midnight, people around the world join hands and sing this beloved song.

And New Year’s resolutions? People have actually been pledging to change their ways in the new year for an estimated 4,000 years. The tradition is thought to have first caught on among the ancient Babylonians, who made promises in order to earn the favor of the gods and start the year off on the right foot.

The age-old custom of breaking one’s newly formed resolutions within several months is also said to have originated shortly thereafter.

In modern times, nearly half of all Americans report making New Year’s resolutions. The top resolutions being to lose weight, get organized, to spend less and save more, to stay fit and healthy, and to quit smoking. But while nearly 50% of all Americans make resolutions, 25% of them give up on their resolutions by the second week of January, according to statistics.

An estimated 1 billion people around the world also watch as a brightly lit ball in New York City descends down a pole atop the One Times Square building at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The world-famous celebration dates back to 1904, when the New York Times newspaper relocated to what was then known as Longacre Square and convinced the city to rename the neighborhood in its honor. At the end of the year, the publication’s owner threw a raucous party with an elaborate fireworks display.

When the city banned fireworks in 1907, an electrician devised a wood-and-iron ball that weighed 700 pounds, was illuminated with 100 light bulbs and was dropped from a flagpole at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Lowered almost every year since then, the iconic orb has undergone several upgrades over the decades and now weighs in at nearly 12,000 pounds.

In more recent years, various towns and cities across America have developed their own versions of the Times Square ritual, organizing public drops of items ranging from pickles (Dillsburg, Pennsylvania) to possums (Tallapoosa, Georgia) at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

The Flexitarian Diet: A Flexible Path to Better Health

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 03:10:37 GMT

In 2025, the flexitarian lifestyle is one of the most popular trends among foodies, health coaches, and those looking for new ways of eating. While it’s not entirely accurate to say that flexitarianism is "back in style," its popularity is definitely stabilizing and continuing to evolve.

It offers a more flexible approach to vegetarianism, or a plant-based diet, where followers can still enjoy the benefits of loading up on fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and whole foods, without having to ditch animal products such as steaks (who doesn’t like a juicy burger?), seafood, dairy, and poultry entirely.

This flexible approach to eating less meat still delivers big wins for heart health, weight control, cancer prevention, and the planet, without forcing folks to go vegan.

It’s fair to say we are all accustomed to diets that “prohibit” certain meals/ingredients because of their impact on the body. The usual suspects are sugar, carbohydrates, and meat among others. But more often than not, a middle-ground between the extremes can work really well for some people or, in this case, a lot of people.

It’s no secret that the success of a diet, or eating plan, is directly related to how it blends into a person’s daily lifestyle because, in the end, we want this new healthier habit to become that – a lifestyle. The flexitarian diet has risen to popularity entirely because of this – it is practical and easy to follow.

It's good for your health because it has been shown to improve markers of metabolic health, lowered blood pressure and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

It helps you meet your nutrient needs, such as recommendations for vitamins and minerals that support health, including vitamins A, C, E, K and folate and the minerals potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and manganese.

It's flexible and easy to follow, without rigid rules, so eating out is doable and that includes alcohol.

Whether you're transitioning for health, environmental, or ethical reasons, this balanced approach to plant-based eating makes it easier to stick with long-term.

And let’s face it, we all want to improve our way of living without having to make too many sacrifices. And if there’s an option that allows us to do just that, we are sure to take it!

Enter… The Flexitarian Lifestyle.

What happened to the Santa Barbara Biofuel Project (Created in 2008)

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 03:12:31 GMT

The following is an excerpt from an optimistic article published in the Santa Barbara Independent on February 21, 2008

The Future of Biofuels Takes Root in Santa Barbara Growing Gold in 2008

At first sight, it looks like a weed-a ragged shrub bearing sickly green fruit, growing across a plot of wasteland near the dump that overlooks Highway 101. It grows on almost any soil, and with hardly any rain. Its seeds are as toxic as any poison. But this unusual plant conceals an unlikely secret: The oil from its thick black seeds can be used to power your car. And this hardscrabble patch here in Santa Barbara is a project on the cutting edge of one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.

Now, 17 years later, history reveals what challenges jatropha cultivation faced in Santa Barbara, and what the outlook is for its future as a biofuel crop globally.

Jatropha, often touted as a drought-tolerant crop capable of growing on degraded lands, exhibited low yields in many instances, leading to the failure of plantations.

The economic viability of jatropha for biofuel production also proved to be a significant hurdle. One source mentions that the perception of jatropha's profitability deteriorated causing many farmers to abandon cultivation. Then the initial projections of widespread planting fell short. The costs associated with production, oil extraction, and conversion also posed challenges.

Then, like other crops, jatropha proved to be susceptible to pest and disease damage, and although it was promoted as a crop that could be grown on marginal land, some plantations encroached on land that could otherwise be used for food production. This raised concerns about food security and the conversion of natural ecosystems causing biodiversity loss and increased carbon emissions from land-use change.

A lack of comprehensive agronomic research on jatropha in the initial stages was also discovered, resulting in growers often lacking the necessary knowledge and documented best practices for optimal cultivation and harvest. This impacted yields and profitability.

Mismanagement at the plantation level regarding pruning, irrigation, and pest control also posed risks.

Overview and Conclusion:

In the mid-2000s, jatropha was widely promoted as a "miracle" biofuel, high-yielding, drought-tolerant feedstock capable of thriving on degraded lands across various

Why Regenerative Farming?

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 03:13:53 GMT

Regenerative Agriculture has the power to change the world. Its practices can actually reverse climate change by sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide and improving soil’s water-holding capacity.

The farming industry currently contributes to billions of metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year, degrades farmland with harmful tilling and over grazing methods, and wastes huge amounts of water, energy and other vital resources.

The rapid degradation of global soils led the United Nations to warn us that the world’s remaining topsoil would be gone in 60 years, if we don’t act. That means less than 60 harvests left before the earth can no longer feed the planet and support our ecosystems.

Fact #1: Regenerative agriculture minimizes the physical, biological, and chemical disturbance of the soil.

Fact #2: Increases plant diversity. Plant diversity helps build healthy soils to better trap water and nutrients. Regenerative farms vary crop rotations, plant multiple species of cover crops together, grow diverse forage in pastures, and maintain permanent vegetation. A way to naturally defend against pests and diseases, while improving soil health and the ecosystem.

Fact #3: Soil can draw down 250 million metric tons of carbon dioxide–equivalent greenhouse gasses every year.

Fact #4: RA helps maximize water use efficiency and improve water quality, helping to protect and restore clean water in nearby water sources like streams, rivers, and lakes.

Fact #5: RA captures substantial amounts of carbon from the air and stores it in the soil, helping mitigate the effects of climate change.

Fact #6: RA sequesters atmospheric carbon dioxide, reversing industrial agriculture’s contributions to climate change.

Fact #7: RA’s holistic grazing practices can restore grasslands (30% of the earth’s surface is grassland), and 70% of those grasslands have been degraded.

Fact #8: Regenerative practices such as no till farming and cover cropping are reducing erosion and water pollution, and in turn, producing healthier soils.

Fact #9: Regenerative Agriculture produces nutrient-dense foods that are free from chemical contaminants.

Fact #10: In a white paper titled “Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Climate Change”, the Rodale Institute states that “we could sequester more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions with a switch to widely available and inexpensive organic management practices, which we term 'regenerative organic agriculture.'”

In addition, research has found that consumers are increasingly willing to pay a premium for sustainable products, with some reporting a willingness to pay significantly more for goods that meet specific environmental criteria.

Farmers, in turn, are being led into organic and regenerative farming practices by consumer demand. It’s where the money is!

Regenerative Farming goes Global

Thu, 01 May 2025 03:15:18 GMT

Early in 2022, the Ecdysis Foundation, led by Dr. Jonathan Lundgren, Director/CEO of Blue Dasher Farm, launched the 1,000 Farms Initiative, with the goal of a long-term intensive study of farming practices on farms across the U.S.

The aim of this initiative was to analyze the benefits of a shift to regenerative agricultural practices at a time when companies, consumers, catalyst organizations, and even governments, are encouraging change on farms in response to wicked problems like climate change and emissions, biodiversity threats, and pollution impacts.

The South Dakota-based nonprofit issued an invitation to US farmers for participation, with the hope of including 350 farms from several of the 10 delineated eco-regions across the US in year one, and an additional 500 during 2023.

Much to the team’s surprise, interest outpaced expectations. "We've had farmers actually register to be a part of this study from all over the world. Africa, throughout Europe, Australia, and South and Central America. We ended up having more than 1000 farms register to be a part of this first study," said Lundgren.

Regenerative farming has now become more than just a buzzword—it’s a movement transforming the way we produce food. By prioritizing soil health, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration, regenerative agriculture seeks to restore ecosystems and reverse the damage caused by conventional farming practices.

Today, many major American, forward-thinking companies are partnering and innovating to support their farmers as they adopt and scale regenerative farming practices.

Walmart, for example, is focusing its regenerative-farming investments on critical commodities such as wheat, soy, corn, rice and, recently, cotton. By partnering with the Midwest Row Crop Collaborative (MRCC), they will work together with 30,000 farming operations to advance regenerative farming practices across 30 million acres in the Midwest.

PepsiCo has also announced a new 2030 goal, to deploy regenerative farming practices across 7 million acres—an amount roughly equivalent to the global land footprint needed to supply crops for all their company’s products. This is only one of their many current iniatives.

“Farmers are critical to our business. We envision a world where food is grown in a way that revitalizes the earth, supports farmer livelihoods, feeds a growing population and innovates how ingredients are grown. PepsiCo aspires to protect biodiversity, all while seeking to support a positive future for farmers, communities and our planet. By joining forces with different partners across the value chain, we aim to empower farming communities through education, upfront investment in outcomes, peer coaching and cost-sharing – and hopefully inspire others to join the effort.”

~ Jim Andrew, EVP, Chief Sustainability Officer for PepsiCo

The New Sharing

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:22:38 GMT

What's on the plate of the person sitting next to you? It turns out that trying a bite is no

longer a problem! Sharing food is the new trend.

Today, it permeates all levels of society. Whether its vegan snacks or exquisite

appetizers at luxury restaurants, sharing food is everywhere today. One possible reason

for this is the agony of choice in a huge menu offering. Having to decide on a single dish

from an abundance of dishes can be difficult. Much more tempting is the possibility to

taste different appetizers and then talk about them.

In modern societies, groups of friends are increasingly taking the place of family and

fixed partner structures, but the longing for family closeness and the warmth of a nest

remains and is shifting to the restaurant.

In a world often characterized by haste and individualism, this trend offers a soothing

alternative. The idea of eating together not only promotes conviviality but also creates a

special atmosphere in which guests can get closer and exchange ideas. It is a trend that

encourages conscious consumption, as meals can be enjoyed more intensely in

company.

This “New Sharing” revolutionizes the traditional concept of individual enjoyment and

opens up exciting possibilities for restaurateurs who want to offer their guests a unique

experience. With specially designed sharing platters and "shareable dishes", everyone at

the table can discover and enjoy the different flavors together.

Implementing shared dining in restaurants, however, requires a rethink in terms of

menu design, table arrangements and tableware. The selection of dishes must be varied

and shareable in order to promote the experience of community. It is also important to

arrange the tables in such a way that they offer sufficient space for the diverse bowls and

platters that are central to this trend.

From modern bistros and ethno-culinary restaurants to tapas bars and sushi joints, this

trend is finding a place in a variety of gastronomic concepts. Whether in urban centers,

tourist hotspots, or idyllic rural areas, sharing food connects people and creates a sense

of community that is extremely attractive to many guests.

For restaurateurs, the rethinking and redesigning can be a worthwhile investment in

2024. Events like family style dinners offer the opportunity to be different from the

competition and offer guests an experience that will not only be remembered, but

Instagemmable as well.

Charcuterie’s Rise to Power

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 21:49:31 GMT

Though charcuterie first rose to prominence in 15th century France, meat-and-cheese boards have now spiraled into a massive trend on social media, propelling some enthusiasts to the status of "charcuterie influencer."

A search for "charcuterie" on Instagram yields nearly one million results, and on Facebook there are hundreds of public and private groups dedicated to the art form. Influencers posting artsy photos of 'adult Lunchables' are blowing up among millennials with small living spaces and a passion for meat and cheese.

"It blows my mind every time I open the app and have a hundred notifications or 2,000 new followers on TikTok," Maggie Johnson told Business Insider of her newfound social media stardom.

On a whim, Johnson filmed herself in October washing cartons of blackberries and grapes over a marble-lined sink, carefully slicing wedges of cheese and opening packages of cured meats before arranging them ornamentally around a circular wooden board.

Though she had been privately watching videos on TikTok for months, she decided to share her own video for the very first time, posting it to her page before heading into an early shift at the bakery where she works in Nashville, Tennessee. When she opened the app during her break, she was astounded to find that her post had thousands upon thousands of likes and comments.

Three months later, she amassed more than 175,000 followers to her TikTok page @magsmeals, where she regularly shares charcuterie-related videos.

Johnson — an epicurean at heart, who first started making charcuterie boards for her sorority sisters in college — discovered that she had unwittingly tapped into an obsession among young Americans suddenly seeking out charcuterie content unlike ever before.

Though charcuterie itself has existed as a culinary delicacy for centuries, it only really flourished into a bona fidé social media phenomenon in the past year, marking those like Johnson as "charcuterie influencers" along the way.

Feeling the Pressure

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 21:47:54 GMT

Shoppers are feeling the pressure as inflation pushes up prices for gas, groceries and a range of other goods and services. While people still appear willing to shell out to travel, go to the movies or have a drink or two, surging prices and fears of a recession also have them pulling back in other areas.

Alcohol is still a category that remains generally protected from economic downturns. People are going out to bars again after drinking more at home during the early days of the pandemic and, even as brewers, distillers and winemakers raise prices, companies continue to bet that people are willing to pay more for better-quality alcohol.

“Consumers continue to trade up, not down,” Molson Coors Beverage CEO Gavin Hattersley said on the company’s earnings call in early May. It might seem counterintuitive, but he said the trend is in line with recent economic downturns.

Alcohol sales have also been shielded in part because prices haven’t been rising as quickly as prices for other goods. Back in May, alcohol prices were up roughly 4% from a year ago, compared with the 8.6% jump for overall consumer price index.

According to a survey from NPD Group, a consumer research firm, however, more than 8 in 10 U.S consumers report that they are planning to make changes and pull back on their spending in the next three to six months.

“There is a tug-of-war between the consumer’s desire to buy what they want and the need to make concessions based on the higher prices hitting their wallets,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry advisor for NPD.

The restaurant industry is also seeing signs of potential trouble, although how eateries are affected could vary.

Fast-food chains have traditionally fared better in economic downturns since they’re more affordable and draw diners with promotional deals. Some restaurant companies are also betting that people will keep dining out as long as grocery prices rise faster.

The cost of food away from home rose 7.4% over the 12 months that ended in May, but prices for food at home climbed even faster, shooting up 11.9%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This gap is seen as an advantage for the restaurant industry.

Social Media

Sun, 01 May 2022 17:53:09 GMT

Impacts the Restaurant Industry

Every second, 12 newly active mobile accounts spring up on social media, steadily adding to the 2.3 billion social media users currently active worldwide.

Social media has changed the way we experience everything from day-to-day communication to eating out. It has given consumers the power to spread information to hundreds, if not thousands, of people in a matter of seconds.

For the restaurant industry, which relies heavily on reviews and recommendations, this means every customer now has the power of a well-acclaimed critic. Instagram, blogs and other social sharing platforms allow everyone to be a “foodie.” Publicists no longer control the reputation of a restaurant; customers do.

Studies have found that 86% of millennials will try a new restaurant after seeing food-related content online, while 92% of consumers read restaurant reviews, and 33% say they would never eat in a restaurant with less than four stars, making it critical that each customer has a positive experience.

Surveys also show that one out of four consumers photograph their food regularly for a food photo blog or diary, making dishes that are attractive, colorful, and above all, insta-worthy, critical.

Social media users also dine out more often than non-users, according to a survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association. 92% of frequent social media users eat at a sit-down restaurant at least once a month, while 32% of consumers text or socialize on a mobile device during their mealtime, meaning that nearly one-third of restaurant customers are exposing their plates to thousands of others, right as they’re dining!

Based on these statistics, demonstrating the popularity of dining out amongst social media users and high sharing rates, it’s not surprising that a restaurant’s revenue is reflective of its social media reviews. In fact, each star in a 5-star rating can affect a restaurant’s revenue by up to 10% (Harvard Business Review), while a one-star improvement in rating correlates to an increase in revenue, usually between five and nine percent.

In a world where everyone can be a social media influencer, keeping customers engaged and happy has never been more critical.

Coffee Consumption Hits 2-Decade High

Fri, 01 Apr 2022 18:48:34 GMT

As many people stayed close to home for the past year and a half, there’s been a common item on quarantine shopping lists: coffee.

Just as it has with every other walk of life, the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed how and where consumers drink their coffee. Some things, however, never change—for instance, a coffee lover’s dedication.

Coffee consumption has soared to a two-decade high as Americans brew up new post-COVID routines, according to exclusive consumer polling released by the National Coffee Association (NCA).

More than any other beverage including tap water, 66% of Americans now drink coffee every day, up by nearly 14% since January 2021. This is the largest increase since NCA began tracking data.

The Spring 2022 National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) report prepared by Dig Insights on behalf of the NCA found that Americans have increased coffee consumption away from home by 8% since January 2021.

At home, coffee consumption remains above pre-pandemic levels as well. Some 84% of coffee drinkers report now having had coffee at home in the past day.

Consumption of espresso-based beverages, typically prepared away from home, have shot up 30% since the start of the pandemic, signaling recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and also indicating new growth.

Specialty coffee consumption hit a five-year high. 43% of coffee drinkers chose specialty coffee in the past day, up 20% since January 2021. Cappuccinos and lattes are tied for America's most popular coffee beverage, followed closely by plain espresso and cafe mocha.

41% of coffee drinkers use a drip coffee maker, followed by single-cup systems (27%), cold brewing (9%) and espresso machines (8%).

NCA President and CEO William "Bill" Murray commented:

"Given decades of independent scientific evidence that coffee drinkers live longer than people who never drink coffee, it's fitting to see America's top beverage emerge from COVID-19 more popular than ever at home, on the go, in the office, and in coffee shops around the country. "

Surprise Reaction Raising Restaurant Menu Prices

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 19:55:19 GMT

Food prices have risen dramatically over the last 18 months as restaurants continue to struggle during the pandemic. Most operators have probably raised prices once, if not two or three times, to keep up with these costs. And this, of course, trickles down to the consumer.

All of this is particularly challenging for the independent restaurant owner and operator, whether they are running one or two locations or a small local chain. They just don’t have the resources or the purchasing muscle of the larger corporate chains.

But…what they do have right now is an unprecedented level of consumer goodwill. In fact, as Lee Schulman, founder of Panacea Management Group Consulting puts it, “More of it than I have seen at any other point in my 30-plus-year career in restaurant operations. People will normally put up some resistance when prices increase, whether during their visit or simply by not coming back. But that is not what is happening.”

Most customers today understand and are sympathetic to the problems that the smaller, independent restaurants are facing, and they appreciate the experience of dining out on a different level than they did two years ago. They read the news, and they see other restaurants closing their doors because of the pandemic.

So this is a unique opportunity. If ever there was going to be a time when customers are forgiving of, and even expect, a rise in menu prices, this is that time! They want their local restaurants to succeed.

This does not mean that a restaurant can just mark everything up 5%, 10%, 15% or more and call it a day. Customers need to know that the restaurant is doing all that it can to minimize the hit on their wallets without resorting to serving an inferior product!

In this current climate, therefore, it’s essential that operators establish and maintain a good line of communication with their vendors so that they have a heads-up when prices are about to go up and can quickly source that alternative cut of meat or whatever is needed to avoid an interruption. It is far better to offer a slightly revised menu item than to have to apologize for not having a customer’s favorite.

In short, what you do behind the scenes is just as important, if not more so, as whatever markups you end up adding to your menu. Customers are going to notice…and will continue to reward your efforts with their business.

The Future of Alfesco Dining

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 18:41:32 GMT

On Friday, May 22, 2020 in response to the pandemic and public health restrictions, the City of Santa Barbara closed Downtown State Street to cars, opening the street to pedestrians, shoppers and outdoor dining so that residents could enjoy downtown's newly created open space.

Likewise, across the country, state and local officials relaxed various rules and, suddenly, the hurdles to converting parking spaces into outdoor seating areas were low enough for many restaurateurs to clear. Over one year later, the State Street promenade is filled with foot traffic, and Santa Barbara Mayor Cathy Murillo says it has provided a much-needed spark downtown.

Many believe that it shouldn’t have taken a pandemic to give Californians—or anyone else—the simple communal pleasure of dining outdoors. State Senator Weiner, however, believes that if a city had come forward before the pandemic and proposed the idea of “dramatically expanding outdoor dining, there would have been a lot of pushback. Like, ‘Whoa, what’s going to happen to the neighborhood? We need parking.’ However, this is not a mysterious unknown now. Not everybody likes it, but most people do…They love it!”

It seems that if outdoor dining can flourish anywhere, surely it can do so in California—where the weather is temperate and a wildly diverse corps of chefs has year-round access to high-quality produce, seafood, and wine. Yet before the pandemic hit, the Golden State had long been outclassed in offering congenial surroundings for alfresco dining.

Think of Paris and its famous sidewalk cafés. Even smaller cities in France, Spain, and Italy offer a higher density of pleasant outdoor seats than Los Angeles, population 3.9 million. It turns out that there is a reason…for decades, onerous regulations have deprived Californians of both the pleasure of eating outdoors and the convivial streetscapes that curbside dining creates.

Now that the pandemic has shown us what’s possible, it’s a story that ought to end happily. Instead, in San Francisco and elsewhere in California, the red tape that prevented dining alfresco before the pandemic is starting to grow back. Paso Robles and Pismo Beach recently ended temporary programs, even as local officials professed to wanting more outdoor dining going forward.

And, ironically, a survey of 130 mayors across the country by Boston University found that although many cities repurposed public spaces during the pandemic, few mayors intend to make the changes permanent.

Private Dining 2021

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 20:03:19 GMT

Last year the holiday season was kept small and safe with Zoom dinners, mailed gifts, and virtual gatherings, but this year folks are expecting more time in-person with loved ones, slightly bigger guest lists, and a bit more of a social calendar. With all the cooking at home that’s gone on during the COVID-19 pandemic, dining out is starting to feel like a super special occasion again.

In response, restaurant industry pros across the country are reporting that private dining rooms (known as PDRs) are booked up for November and December. The private dining room at NYC Italian mainstay L'Artusi received 1,742 inquiries in the past 30 days alone, according to owner Kevin Garry. "In the last four to six months, private events literally went from zero to 100," he says. "It's clear that the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and colleagues over a great meal is good for our collective soul."

Previously, the PDR was a go-to option for corporate retreats and office holiday dinners; events typically fueled by expense accounts. "This year, we are seeing more requests for groups of friends or families. Most inquiries are for groups between 15 to 30 guests," explains William Bradley, chef and director of San Diego's Addison. Likewise, the private dining room at The Standard Grill has been booked constantly for months, says Marc Geller, director of marketing for The Standard, High Line. "The vibe recently has been very social, with a lot of brunches, lunches, and private dinners."

Even freshly minted spots are being flooded with inquiries. "We've only been open a few short weeks and the number of inquiries for our private dining room or semi-private spaces is quickly approaching triple digits," says Felipe Donnelly, executive chef of Comodo, a new Latin American-inspired restaurant in New York City.

Donnelly has nailed one of the core draws of the PDR experience in 2021: "Private dining rooms provide the restaurant experience without the full commitment of dining indoors with a lot of strangers. Many people are still hesitant to be in close proximity with people they don't know, but as the season change brings colder weather, outdoor dining is losing its appeal — and that's where private dining rooms come in."

It makes sense, given that PDRs are effectively ideal COVID-friendly socialization pods. They offer the intimacy and peace of mind that comes from guaranteed vaccination status in establishments that mandate it, not to mention the ability to escape one's own living room (and the burden of doing dishes after everyone's gone home).

Lilli Sherman, founder of brand marketing studio OMA, recently booked the PDR at Brooklyn's Rule of Thirds for her partner and best friend's joint birthday party. "I would say beyond the safety element, we all are craving more intimate, less overly stimulated experiences...dinners where we can actually hear each other and feel connected versus being in a large dining room with blaring music and drunk diners..." Sherman says the private bungalow feel of the PDR at Rule of Thirds made the experience truly memorable.

Hospitality pros across the country are pleased to see other guests following suit. Felipe Donnelly, executive chef of Comodo in NYC is optimisitc: "If people are able to gather together and share a meal in a space they feel comfortable, it may just be the ticket to helping the restaurant industry swing back and thrive again."

Tracking the Return to Normal Dining

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 12:53:10 GMT

Morning Consult, a global data intelligence company, has been tracking how safe

Americans feel dining out at restaurants in light of the COVID-19 pandemic since the

Spring of 2020.

The restaurant industry was hit hard when states across the country first went into

lockdowns and businesses had to rely solely on takeout and delivery to stay afloat.

Restaurants have since been able to reopen their dining rooms to various degrees and,

although it may take time for the industry to fully recover, consumers consistently

report that the activity they miss the most is eating out.

While tracking pent-up demand and excitement for various types of consumer activities,

Morning Consult also found that the activity Americans felt most comfortable with was

dining out.

As of October 20, 2021, they report that key trends have emerged:

1. Steady Increases for Third Week Straight: 69% of U.S. adults said they feel

comfortable going out to eat at a restaurant as of an Oct. 14-16 survey, an increase of 2

percentage points from last week and 2 points shy of tying a record high in comfort with

the activity first reached on the Fourth of July. The share of adults who said they felt

safe dining out didn’t change in September but has steadily increased in October.

2. Gap in Comfort With Indoor, Outdoor Dining Slightly Narrows: 74% of adults feel OK

eating outdoors at a restaurant, compared to 65% who said they’re OK eating indoors.

That’s a gap of 9 points, slightly smaller than the 11-point difference in opinion that

emerged in August and has largely remained in place into early October.

3. Americans Are Ordering More Takeout, Delivery: Takeout remains the most popular

option for ordering food, with 39% of consumers saying they order takeout at least once

a week as of a mid-October survey, up 3 points from this time last month. The share who

said they get food delivered that often also increased by the same amount over that time,

from 25% to 28%. Dining in at restaurants is roughly as popular as ordering delivery,

with 30% of U.S. adults saying they do so at least once a week.

When will things return to normal, and what will our new normal look like? Those are

questions that business, economic, and government leaders alike are grappling with as

more and more Americans receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

It is going to be challenging, but in an industry accustomed to facing a relentless array of

obstacles, those in the know say definitively, “We’ll meet this one, too.”

Key Restaurant Industry Statistics

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 12:57:53 GMT

What makes the restaurant industry so popular and interesting? The real answer is that

it is always changing. In recent years, a massive spike in ordering food online, more

focus on reducing food waste, adopting server handhelds, implementing robots in

restaurants, and a host of food trends have been witnessed across social media

platforms.

While the restaurant industry is not slouching when it comes to variety, they can serve a

dollar meal as well as the most expensive food, but when it comes to success, there is a

great divide among restaurants.

How can the industry be so alive and thriving for some but not for others? Here are a

few general restaurant industry market statistics focused on what consumers prefer and

what the latest trends are to help answer the above questions.

When choosing a restaurant, 72% of diners reported placing food quality over

everything else. (Toast) Apart from having a lot of variants, uniqueness, and

atmospheres, the main thing that attracts customers to a restaurant is their food.

A restaurant that has received negative reviews about its cleanliness is avoided by 75%

of people. (Business Wire) However, revenues can be increased by 5%-9% when

customer reviews are improved by just half a star. (PYMNTS.com) And, it’s

noteworthy...84% of people reported trusting online reviews. (Inc.)

To purchase food and essentials, 51% of consumers have downloaded at least 1 new app

since the COVID-19 pandemic (Bluedot) and, when ordering food online, 34% of

consumers spend at least $50 per order. (Statista)

Nearly 32% of the consumers said that their eating habits have become healthier in the

last year (International Food Information Council).

By 2025, digital channel sales are expected to account for 30% of total sales for U.S.

restaurants (Facebook), and Concessions International reported that restaurants are

visited more frequently by 67% of customers who place orders online than those who

don’t.

From the above restaurant industry statistics it is clear that the restaurant industry faces

oddities and challenges that other industries don’t have.

For this reason, preparing foods that will gain traction among your target consumers

and make your menu more appealing, while placing a premium on cleanliness and

online reviews, can supercharge your business and help you survive the new normal

once the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

‘You Can Dine Somewhere Else’

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 13:03:16 GMT

As the Delta variant of the coronavirus has become the most predominant variant in the

United States and medical experts issue confusing advice, restaurateurs find themselves

once again making difficult decisions on health mandates. Many, where laws allow it,

have taken that to a new level this week, requiring their patrons to bring proof of

vaccination before dining.

Danny Meyer has joined a growing list of restaurateurs and bar owners across the

country who are taking action to stem the spread of Covid-19.

The New York-based restaurateur behind Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) has

announced all customers and employees must provide proof of vaccination to enter his

18 venues. That includes such New York restaurants as The Modern, Manhattan and

Gramercy Tavern, along with Anchovy Social and Maialino Mare in D.C.

“If you really want to go unvaccinated, you can dine somewhere else, and you can also

go work somewhere else,” Meyer told CNN Thursday. “I would call this a company

policy rather than a mandate.”

Proof of Un-vaccination

In dramatic contrast, Basilico's Pasta e Vino in Huntington Beach, CA has frequently

rebuffed coronavirus lockdowns and mandates, often going against the state's

suggestions to provide safety measures to slow the spread of the virus.

This week Basilicos Pasta e Vino issued a decree: Proof of being unvaccinated is

required for entry. Two signs bearing the message that patrons must be unvaccinated to

enter were taped to the windows of the restaurant, which is nestled between a gym and a

sustainable beauty salon in a small strip mall at Hamilton Avenue and Brookhurst

Street.

The restaurant has failed to explain how they expect clientele to provide proof of their

unvaccinated statuses, but a staff member who spoke with the Los Angeles Times said

the restaurant would not, in fact, be asking for any official documentation.

Separate Restaurants for the Vaccinated and Unvaccinated?

At the moment, the latest trend to hit NYC’s burgeoning post-pandemic nightlife scene

is segregated seating for the vaccinated with venues saving the best seats in the house

(think ground floor with no ugly plexiglass barriers) for patrons who got jabbed.

Carroll Place, an Italian-American wine bar and gastropub at 157 Bleecker St. in the

West Village, plans to launch its new vaccinated vs. unvaccinated seats on Wednesday,

with the main floor reserved mainly for vaccinated guests.

Comedy club Carolines on Broadway, in the heart of Times Square, is also reserving the

best seats in the house for the vaccinated. “The easiest way to get the best seats in the

house? Get vaccinated!” says founder and owner Caroline Hirsch.

History of the Drive-Thru

Tue, 15 Jun 2021 13:17:00 GMT

Based on recent events, the drive-thru might be one of the most important inventions of

the foodservice industry. While it seems that almost every fast-food restaurant has a

drive-thru lane, there was a time when people actually had to — gasp — get out of their

cars every time they wanted to order a burger and fries!

Before the creation of the drive-thru there was a forerunner called a drive-in, a type of

restaurant where customers ate their meals on the premises but without leaving their

cars. The drive-in concept was first popularized by a Texas chain of eateries called the

Pig Stand that opened on a highway connecting Dallas and Fort Worth in 1921.

Customers would pull in to the parking lot and be immediately greeted by carhops,

combination waiter-busboys, who served burgers and fries on trays that clipped on to

the car’s window.

In 1931, a Los Angeles franchisee of the chain called Pig Stand Number 21 began to

allow car owners to order and receive bagged meals from a single window, laying the

foundation for what later became the drive-thru.

Dining out then got a brand new look in 1948, thanks to a 100-square foot burger shack

perched next to a circular Baldwin Park, California driveway. There, five cooks worked

behind glass walls assembling take-out meals for motorists, lured by a sign assuring

“NO DELAY” and a restaurant name that promised exactly what it delivered: In-N-Out.

Over the years other establishments have claimed to be the first fast food eatery to

feature a true drive-thru, but In-N-Out Burger’s first restaurant, with its intercom

ordering system and its lack of both inside seating and outside parking was likely the

first to offer the complete drive-thru package.

Despite In-N-Out’s success with a drive-thru-centric business plan, the largest national

chains were slow to adopt the model. The first McDonald’s burger stands opened in

1948, serving 10-cent burgers from walk-up windows (the pedestrian equivalent of the

drive-thru) but it wasn’t until the mid-1970s that the first McDonald’s drive-thru opened

up.

Smaller chains like Jack-in-the-Box (founded in 1950) and Wendy’s (1969), adopted the

drive-thru early on, and by the mid-1960s the Wienerschnitzel chain was opening A-

frame restaurants with a car-sized hole that ran straight through the building.

While drive-thrus changed the way Americans ate and the types of food that quick-

service restaurants offered, the drive-thru also changed automobiles in the process.

Families could now drive up to a window, receive an inexpensive meal in mere

minutes...but then they needed a place to put their drinks.

Car cup holders quickly became a necessity instead of a luxury. Once a rarity in auto

interior design, by the late 1980s it was common for cars to feature more cup holders

than passengers!

Expeditor The Hardest Job in the Kitchen You’ve Never Heard Of

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 13:15:12 GMT

Little known to the public but vital to the smooth running of a restaurant, expeditors set

the pace for the whole dining experience while managing the workflow of the kitchen

like an air traffic controller. Expeditors are usually unknown outside their particular

restaurant, and you have probably only noticed them in the abstract, if you noticed them

at all.

The work of a good expeditor is in the pacing of your dinner. It’s in the steadiness of the

room and the sense that everyone in the restaurant is moving to a single, unbreakable

rhythm. They are vital to smooth service. They fire dishes, signaling cooks exactly when

to push ahead and finish a dish, and they keep time, continuously planning the next

move.

Great expeditors are precise, strategic and terrifically organized, with an uncanny, up-

to-the-minute knowledge of all of the restaurant’s moving parts and an ability to

communicate with ease, clarity and speed. They can make the difference between

catching mistakes early or an error-filled night that drains morale and creates a negative

environment throughout an entire restaurant.

“It was the first thing one of our sous-chefs told me,” said Rebecca Raben, 26, who

works as an expeditor at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, N.Y. “Things are

going to get crazy, but no matter what, stay calm. Because if you lose it, then it translates

everywhere — to the cooks, to the front of the house, everywhere!

There are few structured ways to learn an expeditor’s skills, other than on the job. And

though some restaurants train all their cooks in the basics of expediting, chefs say it’s a

particularly hard role to teach because it requires such a deep understanding of every

facet of the restaurant.

The expeditor is the unsung hero of the professional kitchen. They can enable great

service or stop an entire restaurant in its tracks.

It turns out...the quarterback of the kitchen is not always the chef.

Healthy Bowls Strike it Big

Sat, 01 May 2021 13:19:31 GMT

It’s no longer impossible to find healthy food when you eat out. Not only that, but you

can now find dishes that accommodate even the strictest of diets. Whether you’re

vegetarian, vegan, keto, or paleo, “bowls” are usually the best way to go if you want to

customize all the ingredients in your dish.

Healthy bowls, with all sorts of greens, lean proteins, whole grains, legumes, squash,

berries, seeds and other flavorful power foods, recently came in 5th out of 133 menu

trends ranked in the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot culinary forecast.

More than 600 professional chefs from the American Culinary Federation were

surveyed.

While food bowls can often look too beautiful to eat, the real reason they are so popular

with healthy eaters is because they are so good for your health. They provide all your

grains, proteins, and vegetables right in one main dish, and the heartiness of the meal

will leave you full for hours.

Packaged in attractive containers with transparent lids that show off the vivid colors

within, these customizable meals are perfect for sharing or solo dining. Whether hot or

chilled, they travel well and are ideal for takeout and delivery occasions. And they are

fast becoming a growing proportion of all restaurant meals.

For their part, restaurateurs are attracted by the fact that bowl meals emphasize lower-

cost ingredients such as brown rice or lettuce blends, with high-priced proteins and

other premium items either added in small quantities or eliminated entirely. The “build

your own” model allows patrons to create a dazzling array of meals based on just a few

ingredients. And highlighting seasonal fare and (LTO’s) limited time offers means

components can be switched out based on availability and food cost.

Because this “bowl trend” means there are more healthy food options out there,

restaurants are actually competing to “out bowl” each other. With over two million

pictures of food bowls on Instagram, it’s not surprising that some restaurant brands are

now based almost entirely on bowl meals.

So, for those of you who are still eating your food off a plate, maybe it’s time to give a

“healthy bowl” a try.

An Inside Look at Covid Fatigue

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 13:21:35 GMT

I know, you’re tired of COVID-19. I’m tired of it, too. For months, we’ve all had to deal

with the constant threat of illness, layoffs and deaths while being denied our typical

coping methods. It’s led to a widespread emotional exhaustion that now has a name:

COVID fatigue. And COVID fatigue hurts more than our mental health. It puts our

physical health at risk, too.

Recently, Lancasteronline.com interviewed 12 food industry professionals from

Lancaster County about living and working in a pandemic and how the past year has

affected them both professionally and personally. Michelle, a prep kitchen chef from

Lancaster, tells her story... in her own words...providing an inside look at COVID fatigue

“restaurant -style”.

“Pre-pandemic, I worked 50 to 70 hours a week. I was constantly tired, overworked, out

of shape and gaining weight. When indoor dining closed (in March 2020) and I was

furloughed, I finally got rest. I felt great. I started an online exercise program with free

YouTube videos. I was actually able to eat three balanced meals a day. I felt and looked

better than I had in a long time (at least physically).

I went back to work in June when indoor dining resumed. I started slow because

working with others in-person in a cramped environment made me pretty anxious. I got

used to the anxiety because really, what choice do I have? Wearing a mask for six to

eight hours a day in a kitchen is hard. Really hard. Some coworkers wear masks with

vents. Some don’t clip the nose part, so their mask is constantly falling down. I’ve had

coworkers take their mask down to talk. I ask them to pull it up and they comply, but I

can’t and won’t be the mask police.

Money is hit or miss. Some weeks I’m making “enough.” Other weeks I’m going

backward — not getting enough hours to pay bills but getting too many hours to collect

supplemental unemployment or the $300 a week from the federal government. I stress

out about money a lot. I can’t live on less than full-time hours forever. I’m tired,

especially mentally. I cry, a lot. That’s hard to say and admit, but it’s true.

I currently double-mask with a surgical mask worn over a KN95, and I wear glasses or

goggles. One of the main and most common symptoms of COVID-19 is loss of smell and

taste. What would that do to my job/career? Not to mention how devastating it would be

to me personally. Someone who lives for food and wine. I know a woman who is, just

one year later, getting her sense of taste back. I cannot risk that; it’s way too high a price

to pay.

For me, 2020 was, in three words…Frustrating, Sad, Stressful!

Love Affair with Hamburgers

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 14:23:31 GMT

Americans consume 13 billion hamburgers a year; enough to circle the earth 32 times!

On average, Americans eat 3 hamburgers a week, while hamburgers and cheeseburgers

account for 71% of all the beef served in commercial hotels across the US.

And, this isn’t just an American phenomenon - 60% of all sandwiches sold globally are

actually burgers. Once considered just a quintessential meal for Americans, the burger

has become a part of the daily food habit for people around the world.

The first, and probably the most obvious answer to the question of why we're so

obsessed with burgers - burgers are cheap. If you're going out to dinner and the entrees

cost $33, the burger almost always costs half. It fills you up just as much as the filet of

trout would (if not more) and it almost always comes with a generous pile of fries. So it's

an economical, filling option. That's appealing.

And, because the meat is ground up, you don't have to do much chewing and because it's

served on a bun, it's easy to eat. There's no cutting, only lifting, and because burgers

come with an array of sides you can build yours to your own taste. That's appealing too.

Wondering how this love affair began? The groundwork for the ground-beef sandwich

was laid with the domestication of cattle in Mesopotamia around 10,000 years ago and

continued with the growth of Hamburg, Germany where beef delicacies were popular.

Jump ahead then to 1848, when political revolutions shook the German Confederation,

spurring an increase in German immigration to the United States. With German people

came German food and, because Hamburg was known as an exporter of high-quality

beef, restaurants began offering a “Hamburg-style” chopped steak.

In mid-19th-century America, preparations of raw beef that had been chopped, chipped,

ground or scraped were a common prescription for digestive issues. After a New York

doctor, James H. Salisbury, suggested that cooked beef patties might be just as healthy,

cooks and physicians alike quickly adopted the “Salisbury Steak”. Around this same

time, the first popular meat grinders for home use became widely available, setting the

stage for an explosion of readily available ground beef.

The hamburger then made its jump from plate to bun in the last decades of the 19th

century, though the site of this transformation is highly contested. Whatever its genesis,

the burger-on-a-bun found its first wide audience at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair,

which also introduced millions of Americans to new foods ranging from waffle ice cream

cones and cotton candy to peanut butter and iced tea.

The dramatic transformation of the hamburger to iconic fast food favorite, however,

didn’t take place until 1921 when Edgar “Billy” Ingram and Walter Anderson opened

their first White Castle restaurant in Wichita, Kansas with only $700. They sold their

first small, square burgers, referred to as "sliders", for a nickel. In 2014, Time Magazine

declared their iconic Original Slider - the Most Influential Burger of All Time.

Even in France today, famous for its glamorous cuisine, burgers (aka “le burger”) are

one of the most frequently served foods. About 75 percent of food establishments now

have at least one hamburger on their menus and, of those, 80% reported that burgers

are their best-selling item!

So...no matter where you live, there’s bound to be a burger or French fry with your name

on it.

Bon Appetit...

COFFEE

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 14:25:09 GMT

Coffee lovers, your time has arrived. When it comes to 2021’s biggest flavor trends,

coffee makes the list.

That’s right, java is giving a jolt to all kinds of food. Folks can now get their coffee fix in

the form of coffee-flavored bars and granolas, smoothie boosters and booze, even coffee

yogurt for those looking to crank up their breakfast parfait.

And if caffeine gets you through your morning routine or serves as an afternoon pick-

me-up, Coca-Cola has a brand new product that could settle the standoff between soda

and coffee drinkers looking for a quick jolt - Coca-Cola with Coffee.

"Coca-Cola with Coffee is the beverage for the on-the-go consumer who loves the

uplifting and refreshing Coca-Cola taste and the familiar flavor of coffee," the company

said in a press release. “It has the great Coca-Cola taste infused with rich, luxurious

coffee flavor and provides a unique way to enjoy the everyday coffee experience."

The soda/coffee hybrid comes in a sleek 12-ounce can, in three signature flavors – Dark

Blend, Vanilla and Caramel - and boasts 69 milligrams of caffeine. A standard 8-ounce

cup of coffee has 95 mg, while an energy drink like Red Bull has 111 mg in a 12-ounce

can.

Former ESPN reporter and sports business analyst Darren Rovell shared a video of the

new Coke, which he hailed "a big, big entry for Coca-Cola," after he tasted the dark blend

flavor. "The Coca-Cola matching with the coffee, just such an easy combination, you

taste both of it. It is going to rock, I'm telling ya," he said in the video posted to Twitter.

In 2021, forecasters say that we can expect to see fewer bartenders and more kiosks in

coffee houses. Larger coffee chains are also investing in automated coffee machines that

brew coffee with just one tap or require no human assistance whatsoever.

So it is that nowadays the love affair between humans and coffee burns way beyond a

brewed pot of joe, which may well be fueled by folks needing an extra buzz to pull

themselves out of 2020.

Make the most of the season by following these simple guidelines

chris@talktooliver.com (Chris Collins) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 01:18:39 GMT

The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

Make a list

Lists are great ways to stay on track. Write down some big things you want to accomplish and some smaller things, too.

Check the list regularly

Don’t forget to check in and see how you’re doing. Just because you don’t achieve the big goals right away doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.

Reward yourself

When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.

Think positively

Positive thinking is a major factor in success. So instead of mulling over things that didn’t go quite right, remind yourself of things that did.

Keep in touch with site visitors and boost loyalty

chris@talktooliver.com (Chris Collins) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 01:18:39 GMT

There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.

Here are some reasons to make blogging part of your regular routine.

Blogging is an easy way to engage with site visitors

Writing a blog post is easy once you get the hang of it. Posts don’t need to be long or complicated. Just write about what you know, and do your best to write well.

Show customers your personality

When you write a blog post, you can really let your personality shine through. This can be a great tool for showing your distinct personality.

Blogging is a terrific form of communication

Blogs are a great communication tool. They tend to be longer than social media posts, which gives you plenty of space for sharing insights, handy tips and more.

It’s a great way to support and boost SEO

Search engines like sites that regularly post fresh content, and a blog is a great way of doing this. With relevant metadata for every post so search engines can find your content.

Drive traffic to your site

Every time you add a new post, people who have subscribed to it will have a reason to come back to your site. If the post is a good read, they’ll share it with others, bringing even more traffic!

Blogging is free

Maintaining a blog on your site is absolutely free. You can hire bloggers if you like or assign regularly blogging tasks to everyone in your company.

A natural way to build your brand

A blog is a wonderful way to build your brand’s distinct voice. Write about issues that are related to your industry and your customers.

Tips for writing great posts that increase your site traffic

chris@talktooliver.com (Chris Collins) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 01:18:37 GMT

Write about something you know. If you don’t know much about a specific topic that will interest your readers, invite an expert to write about it.

Speak to your audience

You know your audience better than anyone else, so keep them in mind as you write your blog posts. Write about things they care about. If you have a company Facebook page, look here to find topics to write about

Take a few moments to plan your post

Once you have a great idea for a post, write the first draft. Some people like to start with the title and then work on the paragraphs. Other people like to start with subtitles and go from there. Choose the method that works for you.

Don’t forget to add images

Be sure to include a few high-quality images in your blog. Images break up the text and make it more readable. They can also convey emotions or ideas that are hard to put into words.

Edit carefully before posting

Once you’re happy with the text, put it aside for a day or two, and then re-read it. You’ll probably find a few things you want to add, and a couple more that you want to remove. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure there are no mistakes. When your post is error-free, set it up in your blog and publish.

Looking From the Inside Out

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 14:36:10 GMT

~ Bon Appett Staff

Alexis Dubon, waitress, New York City: I’ve been waiting tables at restaurants for 15

years. I started at Clinton St. Baking Company, when brunch was becoming an integral

part of people’s weekends in the early 2000s. Then, for the last decade, I’ve been at

Mary’s Fish Camp, which has become a second home.

Waiting tables is perfect for me. It’s social, while maintaining a level of anonymity and

implied transience. It’s active, and challenging in all the right ways. I’ve met the best

people I’ve ever known in restaurants. Our world draws a particular type; those with

thinner skins are weeded out quickly, leaving only the cynical, impermeable, and

formidable, who are so often armed with unmatched senses of humor.

Anyone who sticks around and becomes a “career waiter” knows how to navigate the

restaurant ecosystem, thriving under pressure, developing methods to get the most work

done in the least time but elegantly and seamlessly. Working essentially on commission,

we devise tricks to maximize volume, shaving minutes off turn times, while making

everyone feel so enamored by our service that they want to thank us in the tip line. We

learn to read people, recognizing which types respond to different kinds of service and

alter our personalities accordingly. For the boisterous North Carolinian with the dad

jokes, we are informal and goofy, ready with bawdy puns; for the persnickety finance

bro, we gently communicate which steps of service he should anticipate, lest he assume

it will not get done without his direction. We resolve issues with unhappy customers,

becoming experts in customer relations and retention, and we cultivate core groups of

regulars who become more like family than guests.

Many believe the misconception that my grandmother so eloquently articulated, that

“anyone can pick a plate up and put it down.” Yes. That is one part of our job. However,

there is so much more that, if done right, goes unnoticed. Well-meaning customers often

asked, “What’s your real job?” That’s my real job; it’s a real job. And I liked my life.

Then came March. Almost all of us career waiters were forced into unemployment,

along with most of the country. But in the wake of this pandemic, many restaurants

were forced to shutter permanently, leaving many without jobs to return to. In my 15

years working in restaurants, I’ve established job security and enough connections that

if something happened, I would be fine. But not anymore. My kind is facing extinction,

and my only choice is to move on.

But where is there to go? Everywhere else I am considered “unskilled labor.” I have sent

my resumé far and wide to no avail. Recently, I was turned down from a position as a

personal assistant because I “only had restaurant experience.” It takes little imagination

to guess the thought process. “What could a waitress have to offer my company? We

have no plates to pick up and put down. Pass.”

So here I am, one in an army of highly skilled, self-motivated, fast-on-our-feet workers,

struggling to find a new home and being turned away from every doorstep. I am on my

own, unrecognized and undesirable, a woman without a country.

I can only hope that the restaurant world can recover post-COVID. I loved everything

about working in restaurants and, although for now, a return to the homeland feels as

out of reach as setting down roots somewhere new, we are nothing if not resilient, and

we will build back up from the ashes.

From Pandemic to Protests: How Food Businesses Are Responding

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 14:39:23 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

These are unprecedented times. It seems like the whole world has been brought to its

knees, from the rapid and destructive spread of COVID-19 to the protests in response to

police brutality and the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd.

The food industry isn’t exempt. So, as things have developed, the staff at BON APPÉTIT

asked people working in the food industry around the world to share what they’re seeing

in their communities, how they’ve been affected, and how they’re responding.

Here is what Megan Thorson, Grand Central Bakery, Portland, OR had to say on

November 12: “I’ve been working for a little over nine years at Grand Central Bakery. It

has several locations in Portland and Seattle, and we sell bread, pastries, and

sandwiches made with sustainably sourced ingredients (we have close ties to the

farmers we source from). Pre-COVID-19, I was cooking 500 to 600 eggs a week as the

lead cook, getting to work at 5:30 a.m. every day and ending around 1:30 p.m. Anyone

who has worked in the service industry knows how exhausting it can be to work on your

feet all day and with the public.

“Then COVID-19 hit. Every restaurant was scrambling to figure out how to handle this,

and we allowed a handful of customers in at a time, spaced six feet apart. Some of them

were desperate for conversation and lingered at the register. Others—usually white,

older men—yelled at me when I had to enforce social-distancing rules. A few people

stuffed $20 bills in the tip jar. One regular dropped us a $400 tip the week before we

closed. For every customer who fussed about wearing a mask, there were five who

showed kindness and extra generosity. Tips have gone up during this pandemic, which

has been totally unexpected.

“But at the end of March, my location along with two others in Portland closed. I was

laid off, but with the hope that these locations would reopen in the summer and those of

us that wanted to come back could. I spent two months at home, thinking I’d use that

time to write. Instead, I learned what touch deprivation feels like and the weirdness that

comes with spending way too much time alone. I took long walks, made quarantine

bagels that I have no desire to ever make again, had endless Zoom calls, and talked a lot

to the squirrels on the telephone wire outside my window. I dreamed of hugs with

animals or humans almost every night.

“When the bakery reopened in late May, I was beyond thrilled to go back—not just to

have work, but because I could be around people again. I missed my coworkers. I missed

regulars, like the ladies who knit over coffee. I missed the toddlers stuffing their faces

with blueberry muffins. I missed having a place to go every day.

“Now customers are not allowed inside. There’s a table at the front door with Plexiglass

dividing us from customers and a separate window for pick-up orders. The company

rolled out online ordering and it has saved our bacon in every way. I am ridiculously

grateful not just to have a job, but to work for a company that is prioritizing its workers’

safety by not allowing customers indoors for the foreseeable future. Enforcing mask

rules is without a doubt the most frustrating part of this job. We have some to give

customers if they don’t have one, but it’s amazing how many argue over wearing one.

“But the worst part of this pandemic for me, and many of my coworkers, was when

wildfires choked Portland with smoke in September. Those of us that chose to work kept

the bakery door shut and talked to customers via a baby monitor.” But even with the

risks, even with the frustration of enforcing mask rules to the public, work is where

Thorsen said she at least gets to work around people she loves.

And with so many restaurants closing, Thorsen has never been so grateful for her job.

But because she believes that half the fun of eating out is the experience of not having to

be in your own house, restaurants trying to survive with just takeout is a challenge.

“I think it will be hard for many of us working to feel safe about letting customers dine

in again, even though we want that, too. People are always going to want to eat out, so I

believe this industry will return to some kind of normality, but it will probably take a

while.”

Restaurant Outlook

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 13:42:09 GMT

Black Box Intelligence, a Dallas-based analytics firm, polled nearly 300 operators and

executives on a “Q3 State of the Industry” webinar and found that two-thirds “expect

things to get worse for restaurants over the next three months.” Restaurant operators

and executives have clearly grown pessimistic in the face of coronavirus-related fears.

The restaurant industry has been struggling with state and local restrictions and stay-at-

home orders since March, when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared. With surges in

coronavirus infections reported across a number of states, the operators surveyed

expect that “the environment for restaurants over the next 90 days will continue to be

challenging.”

The topmost concern among the polled operators was safety, with a growing number

taking visible precautions.

Of the nearly 300 operators polled July 17th:

96% require masks for all restaurant staff

86% have removed some tables from restaurants

77% take the temperature of their employees before a shift

71% require gloves for all restaurant staff

57% have implemented Plexiglass barriers (most common in limited-service brands)

“With 96% of restaurants requiring masks for all staff and 86% removing tables from

their dine-in spaces, we are seeing safety as a top concern for operators," said Kelli

Valade, president and CEO of Black Box. “For guests, ‘clean’ is the new ambiance or

atmosphere, and operators are addressing this head on.”

From April to June, net sentiment for the term “clean” in social-media mentions

increased almost 20 points, the company said. “It’s clear that if there is one overarching

concern in guests’ minds today it is the need for feeling safe,” Black Box Intelligence said

Friday in its weekly update.

“Trust will come when guests feel safe, and we are already noticing higher service scores

likely as a result,” Valade said. “But to keep consumers dining out, it’s table stakes for

operators to absolutely get cleanliness right and be consistent.”

Fine Dining Restaurants Worldwide Find New Ways To Survive In COVID- 19 Era

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 13:44:10 GMT

Renowned San Francisco chef Dominique Crenn was huddled with staff one day in mid-

March when she learned that coronavirus restrictions would close the dining room at

her celebrated restaurant, Atelier Crenn. Immediately, everyone started brainstorming.

“We said, ‘OK, who are we? We are people at the service of people, always here to feed

the community,’” Crenn said.

Crenn is in good company. Chefs at many of the world’s best restaurants made quick

pivots to weather the coronavirus. Some say carryout has been so popular that they’ll

continue when dining rooms reopen. Others stayed closed but made meals for their

furloughed staff.

In Paris, renowned chef Alain Ducasse started Ducasse Chez Moi, offering delivery of

meals like salmon ceviche for $14 and foie gras baked in a crust for $28. Delivery has

been so popular it will continue when Ducasse’s restaurants reopen.

Nick Kokonas, co-owner of Alinea’s in Chicago, said they shifted to carryout on March 17

and since then have served 82,000 meals. It started with $35 entrees like beef

wellington, which sold out every night, and moved on to tasting menus.

Kokonas said carryout was so successful that Alinea hired all of its employees back by

the end of April at 80% of their former pay and benefits. He thinks to-go meals will

remain even after the restaurant reopens its dining room later this summer.

Others began rethinking the experience entirely. Quince, a three-star restaurant in San

Francisco, will likely be closed until fall, but starting in July, co-owner Lindsay Tusk is

planning to offer lunches and dinners at the Marin County farm that grows the

restaurant’s produce.

“It serves a higher purpose right now. Fine dining is not what we need. Connecting over

nature and food in a beautiful setting and provides a genuine experience — that’s what

we need,” she said. Tusk usually employs 170 people at three restaurants: Quince, the

less formal sibling Cotogna, and the wine bar Verjus. Most employees are furloughed,

but she’s been able to hire back about 25 people to help at the farm. More will come

back soon.

“It’s tough right now, but we’re hoping we get to a break-even point in the next few

months,” she said.

Surveys Show: Americans are Ready to Reopen — Safely

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 13:46:05 GMT

There have been a number of polls in recent weeks suggesting that Americans might not

be ready to reopen society just yet. However, the National Restaurant Association

observed that “the polls contrast with protests in states across the country demanding

governors reopen their economies.”

As a general rule, when real world activity contradicts the polls, it’s safe to assume that

the polls aren’t asking the right questions. That certainly appears to be the case when it

comes to reopening American society, says political analyst Scott Rasmussen.

Rasmussen’s polling found that 60% of voters believe all businesses should be allowed

to reopen. That’s quite a bit different from The Washington Post results showing that

just 26% believe restaurants should be allowed to open. The difference is that

Rasmussen’s question included the provision that businesses should be allowed to

reopen as long as they implemented appropriate social distancing guidelines.

In another instance, a poll showing that only 18% of adults would be comfortable eating

at a restaurant today, it was found that many of the people surveyed didn’t regularly eat

at restaurants before the pandemic, so it really doesn’t matter how comfortable they

would feel about the experience. In contrast, Rasmussen decided to focus only on those

who would regularly go out for dinner. Then, rather than asking about a generic

restaurant, he asked, “If your favorite restaurant established safe social distancing

guidelines, how comfortable would you be going to that restaurant for a meal today?”

The result - a whopping 54% of those who eat out regularly said they would be

comfortable returning to their favorite restaurant today. In other words, just over half of

regular restaurant customers are ready to return to familiar stomping grounds. That’s

not enough to sustain the industry long-term, but it’s a pretty solid base to begin

reopening the industry.

Results like these point to the fact that it’s simply impossible to ignore the value of trust

in questions about reopening society. Customers may be wary of visiting restaurants in

general, but businesses that have earned their trust are a different matter entirely.

What Customers Want as Restaurants Reopen

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 13:48:14 GMT

VIPinsiders, a platform run by fifth-generation restaurateur Philipp Sitter, took a

unique approach to answering this question. The company sent a mass poll through

restaurants clients’ email, text, and social sites; ran independent social media ads; and

engaged with active Facebook groups. In about 24 hours, it received 8,511 responses.

The result isn’t information from politicians, doctors, and local governments, the

company said, but rather the thoughts of everyday people who will, hopefully, actually

open up their wallets in the coming days and weeks.

Sitter said, “These results reflect a shocking number of expectations from diners moving

forward.” For example:

“What type of PPE do you want restaurants to use after reopening?”

Gloves: 14.1 percent

Masks: 24 percent

Both: 61.9 percent

More than 1,200 of those surveyed believed that restaurant employees should wear

masks for the foreseeable future...a hefty investment for multi-unit chains, but one

they’d have no real choice but to shoulder.

“What price range are you looking for when you dine out again?”

$10–$15 entrée range: 42.8 percent

$15–$25 entrée range: 26 percent

$25–$40 entrée range: 2.6 percent

Doesn’t matter: 28.6 percent

“How often do you plan on dining out after restaurants reopen?”

Same as before: 50.9 percent

Less than before: 45.9 percent

More than before: 3.2 percent

And responses from another 1,000-consumer study released in May reveals:

Eating at restaurants reminds me of better times: 71 percent

Eating at restaurants will help me feel normal again: 70 percent

Dining in will feel more special once restaurants reopen: 70 percent

Dining out lets me to do my part in helping the community: 63 percent

Celebrations at home haven’t been the same: 62 percent

Dining out will make me feel connected to community again: 60 percent

Local restaurants feel like part of my home/community: 53 percent

It’s a big part of how I socialize: 51 percent

I have missed dining in restaurants more than other things: 50 percent

Put plainly, there are no shortage of reasons customers will flock back to restaurants. It

does, however, come down to a few essentail things: actually getting through the crisis,

being ready for what’s on the other side, and building loyalty through differentiation and

familiarity.

Not easy tasks, but definitely signs of light at the end of the long COVID-19 tunnel.

UV Light Technology

Fri, 15 May 2020 13:50:38 GMT

As many Arizona restaurants prepare to open back up for dine-in services Monday, one

restaurant team in the valley plans to serve up some extra protection with help from a

robot.

"What they call it is a ‘shock and shield’," says Bob Schulken, who runs the Phoenix and

Scottsdale locations of Cien Agaves, along with his partner Roque Jimenez.

The technology is typically used in hospitals like the Mayo Clinic, however, "Cien Agaves

is taking hospital grade disinfection and bringing it to the restaurant level to make sure

all their guests are protected," says Andrew Rupnow, CEO of OMNI Solutions, the

creators of this patent-pending technique.

Cien Agaves will be the first restaurant in Arizona to try out such a method to sterilize

their dining room. The shock is the UV light, blasting every surface to kill off germs, and

the shield is a heavy-duty spray designed to destroy any bacteria that lands on it.

OMNI purports the shock and shield method as lasting 90 days, at which time the team

at Cien Agaves commits to reapplying the technology for as long as they need to.

This measure is not all they're doing to keep customers safe at Cien Agaves. Ahead of

reopening dine-in, they have put up partitions, spaced out tables, and are even

retraining staff on using masks and gloves. Their customers will not even have to touch a

menu - they can scan it to their phone using a QR code.

"We’ve always believed in protecting the public,” says Schulken. "We believed in it

before this whole thing, and we believe in it now."

With all these extra measures in place, Schulken and Jimenez feel the time is right to

start filling the tables at Cien Agaves that have been empty for more than two months.

"It's going to feel great," Schulken says.

"It’s going to feel awesome!" adds Jimenez.

Farm-to-Table

Fri, 01 May 2020 13:52:15 GMT

“The pandemic has shown that the connection between farm and table can be broken.”

~ Katy Steinmetz

For restaurateurs like Dan Barber, the vanguard chef behind Blue Hill at Stone Barns,

who earned two Michelin stars as he championed the farm-to-table movement in New

York State, that means rethinking everything.

Barber shut the doors of Blue Hill in Westchester County and a second location in New

York City in mid-March. His first thought was that the employees were going to be really

hurt. Then, just as quickly, came the realization of what this was going to do to the entire

restaurant industry and all the small, independent farmers and producers that rely on

restaurants in the farm-to-table movement.

“I believe restaurants have a cultural imprint on what it means to be alive. Restaurants

are this place of connection and community and excitement and decadence that is very

powerful,” Barber says. “To have them shuttered now, and then shackled when they

come out of it, I think it will be very difficult to bring that back.”

Before the pandemic, “The world of processed Big Food was about to fall apart. There

was a new era that was much less centralized and much more regional,” says Barber.

“Now everyone is staying home. There’s a return to efficient food, food that you can eat

without thinking about it. Big Food is saying, ‘We’re back, and we’re not going to lose it

this time.’ That, to me, is a disaster.”

Before all this happened, Barber says that he had gotten into relationships with some of

the farmers, and “we were sort of building the business with them, through Blue Hill as

an exclusive. That network is shattered.”

He says he watched as the farmers ended up being the first to be exposed. “The

pandemic has been unsparing in showing weakness in any kind of supply chain, and

that supply chain, as exciting and important as it was, was really weak. Having that

direct, singular connection with farmers, without them having any other opportunities,

proved to be disastrous.”

There is one thing, however, that gives Barber hope going forward...the possibility of

“designing a whole new regional food system that can withstand these shocks and others

that will come along. That,” he says, “could be very exciting!”

Closing Restaurants

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 13:53:46 GMT

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the largest viral outbreak in the past hundred years and has

already made an unprecedented impact on how businesses operate around the world.

For Alex Stupak, chef and owner of the Empellón restaurant group in New York, “Last

Thursday and Friday were the most difficult days of my career. I decided to shut my four

restaurants and was forced to tell 300 people that we were closed. I still can’t get over it.

I wasn’t the first operator to close, but I was one of them, and I was only comforted

when I saw the list getting longer and longer because it was good to see people make the

right decision. The one thing that made me feel better was knowing that this was

happening to all of us.”

Tiantian Qiu, who owns three restaurants in Los Angeles, is, likewise, in a bind. She

pays more than $30,000 in monthly rent to commercial real estate landlords. And the

coronavirus pandemic has caused her business to plummet.

At Hip Hot, her restaurant in Monterey Park, she estimates that revenue was down 75%

in February compared with the same month last year. And at Joy Kitchen on Friday, her

Arcadia restaurant served just three diners the entire day; one was to an employee of the

mall. “We made $100,” she said.

For chefs and restaurateurs right now, there are no clear answers. Try to weather the

storm? Close temporarily? Pivot to takeout and delivery only? For Stupak and Qiu, and

many other restaurant owners, the coronavirus pandemic is causing extreme financial

hardship as well as unexpected ethical dilemmas.

Restaurant owners are suddenly being forced to juggle several issues: a responsibility to

preserve public health, an obligation to care for employees, and a very real need to

simply stay afloat over the coming weeks.

Stupak admits, “I’m not, by nature, an optimistic person. I’ve been crushed, so I have to

keep trying to find the potential good in this. Maybe the biggest hope is that this exposes

the cracks in the system, and it makes us stronger. Right now the discussion is how do

we make sure we come out on the other side? Then can we ask ourselves how we use this

as an inflection point to make things better than ever.”

2020 Prediction: Plant-Based Food Will Explode

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 13:56:05 GMT

Vegetarianism and veganism seems to be all the rage, but most estimates say only about

5% of Americans identify themselves as such. However, the youngest generation dictates

the future, and The Economist has reported that "nearly a quarter (25%) of 25- to 34-

year-old Americans say they are vegan or vegetarian."

At the same time, plant-based protein companies are booming. Burger King, Red Robin,

and QDoba are now serving plant-based "meat" from Impossible Foods, and their

competitor, Beyond Meat, can be found at Albertsons, Kroger, Whole Foods, Carls’ Jr.,

Del Taco, and TGI Friday’s.

Hence, the prediction - the plant-based movement is finally taking off - fueled by the

world’s best chefs who are lending their skills to the movement. "Vegetarian" is no

longer the code word for "tastes like dirt."

Famed San Francisco chef Tracy des Jardin serves as the culinary advisor to Impossible

Foods, and in New York, Jean-Georges Vongerichten has created an entire plant-based

restaurant, ABCV. In Napa, CA, the famous restaurant The French Laundry has added a

permanent vegetarian tasting menu, while at San Diego’s top steakhouse, Cowboy Star,

chef-partner Victor Jiminez’ staff will prepare entire custom vegetarian or vegan meals

for diners who ask.

So, as more Americans are flocking to eateries that offer meatless dishes, chefs are

working overtime to meet the challenge with inventive plant-based dishes such as

mushrooms that look like sea scallops, slow-cooked “pork” dishes made with plump

jackfruit and creamy sauces made with fatty cashews.

“Back in the day, many chefs weren’t fans of vegan diners.,” says Kyung Up Lim, chef at

Manhattan power lunch hotspot, Michael’s. “We’d stem a bunch of vegetables and just

send them out. But now vegan dishes are more creative than ever. They are fun to eat,

flavorful, and more exciting than a piece of steak on a plate.”

Even the Golden Globes jumped on the bandwagon this year with an all-vegan menu

that included king oyster mushroom “scallops” featuring a wild mushroom risotto.

So if you’re thinking that plant-based eating is more of a fad than a movement, it may be

time to reconsider. According to a report by research firm GlobalData, there has been a

600% increase in people identifying as vegans in the US in the last three years.

Improving the Customer Experience

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 15:52:26 GMT

An experience that is 10 times better than the competition will be noticed by customers,

and they will write reviews and promote your restaurant far better than your own

marketing efforts. A recent Deloitte consulting report found that a positive experience

will encourage 60% of guests to be more frequent customers. By maintaining and

improving the customer experience any restaurant can beat out the local competition

and have folks lining up outside the building just to get a seat.

According to this same Deloitte study, the main factor creating a diner’s positive

restaurant experience is engagement. Personalization efforts were found to drive this

process home by setting a tone of familiarity and increased value for every customer.

The study found five “experiential factors” that restaurant goers ask for:

Engage Me

Empower Me

Hear Me

Delight Me

Know Me …. Making it clear that the major factor that separates great restaurants from

the rest turns out to be a personalized experience for each customer.

An OpenTable survey reenforced this fact, finding that 95% of diners reported that they

would return to a restaurant “if the staff catered specifically to their personal

preferences.”

If you think about the best place you’ve ever eaten a meal, and now think about what

made that experience truly great...that’s right... it’s not all about the food! Sure, amazing

food should always be a top priority. But dining at a really good restaurant is also like a

mini-holiday — it’s the sum of a million little things that make that holiday a truly

stress-free, relaxing getaway.

The same things are true when you eat at a brilliant restaurant. Just the way a great

holiday destination can be ruined by a terrible holiday experience, there’s more to a

good restaurant than just great food and drink. For the customer, it’s all about the

service they receive.

So, as a cafe, restaurant, or any other food establishment owner or manager, it’s

delivering great customer service that simply must be the top priority... after having an

excellent product, of course.

“Outta Control”

Sat, 15 Feb 2020 15:54:39 GMT

In an era of excessive food waste...a plea to restaurants: Cut down your portions!

~The Washington Post

The rules for “Outta Control” on the food site of the Minneapolis Star Tribune are

simple: The dish has to be over the top in some way (yet visually appealing) and

preferably something customers can actually order off a menu.

Since it was launched two years ago, “Outta Control” has introduced readers to

tempura-battered, deep-fried cheeseburgers that ooze brie when cut in half; 15-pound

ice cream sandwiches constructed from five flavors of ice cream and cookies the size of

hubcaps; a meter-long bratwurst with a choice of two sides (anyone who makes the

sausage disappear gets a certificate!); and the Meat Tornado. The last, sold at a barbecue

trailer, packs in rib ends, bacon, sausage, a cheese sauce and sugar-cured jalapeños.

Amid growing concerns about food waste and obesity, should we really keep seeing

dishes that practically call for a building permit? One of the chief culprits, according to

Lisa R.Young, an adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University, is that “There is

no standard portion size. It’s whatever the restaurant serves. Since food is relatively

cheap, chefs tend to pile it on — three or more cups of pasta, 10 to 16 ounces of meat —

often using really big plates.” Against these outsize backgrounds, sensible servings make

diners feel cheated, creating what Young calls “proportion distortion.”

While this may sound like a first-world rant, the numbers suggest Americans should

take heed. In 2019, 40 percent of adults were considered obese, according to the

Center for Disease Control. "Most people will eat too much if they're served more than

they need. That’s human nature!" says Dr. Deborah Cohen, senior scientist at the RAND

Corporation.

Should Americans really eat all of that food? Or worse still, are we turning our bodies

into human garbage bins?

A new study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Nutrition and

Dietetics, looked at meals served at 123 restaurants in three cities across America. It

turns out that single-meal servings—excluding beverages, appetizers, and desserts—

pretty much all exceeded recommended calorie requirements…. not just for a single

meal, but sometimes the caloric requirements for an entire day!

Bottom line? If you eat out a lot and polish off your meals with aplomb, you're screwed.

Kids Cuisine 2020

Sat, 01 Feb 2020 15:56:14 GMT

Kids are becoming more kitchen-savvy than ever judging from the number of kids'

cooking and baking competitions on TV. These programs give the illusion that the kids

can whip up complex meals quicker than their parents can google the recipe, while also

encouraging them to taste new ingredients with no adult intervention...having FUN

doing it!

It’s predicted that by 2026, 80% of millennials will have children and will be

introducing them to more adventurous foods, so the same demands from the food

industry that millennials place for themselves are rapidly being pulled over to kid’s

meals. Carbohydrates and sugars are out; fresh fruits and vegetables are in.

Transparency, healthy options, and customization are key to winning over this new

generation.

Loyalty to traditional fast food and quick-service restaurants is declining rapidly for the

Millennial generation because kid’s meals are notorious for offering chicken tenders,

spaghetti, grilled cheese sandwiches, and mac and cheese. While these options are top

sellers and appealing to kids, none of these are healthy.

Many restaurants are now working hard to add healthy entrees with a customizable

experience to give parents and children the opportunity to order a nutritious meal.

Millennials’ passion for food is undeniable, so one of the best ways to create a kid’s

menu that wins over these parents is to serve a smaller portion of a healthy adult meal.

It’s surprising to see how many kids order shrimp tacos or baked salmon.

It’s clear that the days of pizza bites and Little Debbie snacks are over. Millennials are

dedicated to wellness, so restaurants that make an effort to offer healthy, local, organic,

and sustainable kids options are predicted to thrive. These parents will bring their

children to restaurants they know offer something nutritious for their children to eat.

By playing around with kids menus and keeping up with changing consumer preferences

for natural ingredients, restaurants can successfully attract the children of millennials.

Move over grilled cheese! Take a hike chicken tenders!

Beef for Dinner...Without killing animals or the environment

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 15:59:42 GMT

A new spin on lab-grown meat

Imagine biting into a juicy burger that was produced without killing any animals. Meat

grown in a laboratory from cultured cells is turning that vision into a reality.

Several start-ups are developing lab-grown beef, pork, poultry and seafood—among

them Mosa Meat, Memphis Meats, SuperMeat and Finless Foods. And the field is

attracting millions in funding. In 2017, for instance, Memphis Meats took in $17 million

from sources that included the agricultural company Cargill and Bill Gates.

Lab-grown meat, also called clean meat, is made by first taking a muscle sample from

an animal. Technicians then collect stem cells from that tissue, multiply them

dramatically and allow them to differentiate into primitive fibers that bulk up to form

muscle tissue. Mosa Meat says that one tissue sample from one cow can yield enough

muscle tissue to make 80,000 quarter-pounders!

“Since we all like animals, but we also like to eat meat,” Luke MacQueen, a tissue

engineer at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. says “this would move the process

outside of the animals and scientists could grow only the meat parts they want.”

So far attempts at lab-grown meat haven’t managed to match the texture of the animal

muscles eaten as meat. Scientists have been working to coax cells to organize into

something like the fibrous meat that ends up on our plates. One new development does

this using a technique akin to spinning cotton candy, except that it uses gelatin instead

of melted sugar. This process grows meat with more structure.

MacQueen claims that the lab-grown samples all look like natural meats. By controlling

how the gelatin fibers are spun, scientists can set the fibers’ alignment and spacing to

determine if the tissue ends up more like a burger or a steak.

While we might not like thinking of our food as something that’s made out of chemicals,

many popular foods from organic apples to Twinkies are actually the product of

amazing biotechnology. So whether we like the idea or not, lab-grown meat is predicted

to be in our favorite grocery stores and restaurants in the next few years.

Imagine...you’ll be able to have your burger and eat it too!

Itameshi Cuisine

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 16:01:18 GMT

The New Fusion Cuisine

Itameshi, which translates to 'Italian food' in Japanese, is the melding of Japanese and

Italian cuisines and has risen in popularity in recent years. Both country’s recipes are

tradition and ingredient-driven, and it is difficult to imagine two world cuisines more

suited to one another, if only for their mutual fidelity to pasta.

Spaghetti has been on the menus of cafes in Japan since the 1920s. Red-sauce Italian

was first popularized by Italian-American GIs during the occupation, but it wasn't until

the 90s that itameshi came into its own with the demise of French food as the exotic

foreign obsession.

The 1991 collapse of Asian economies, white-tablecloth restaurants with French trained

chefs, and prices as high as their tall, pleated, white hats was replaced by informal,

inexpensive Italian food prepared with traditional Japanese ingredients. Japanese chefs

who'd trained in France began shifting their palates and their ingredients to Italy

because it was seen as "friendly, cheap, and cheerful" compared to the hauteur and

formality of French food.

To really understand itameshi you start with noodles, of course, but beyond the noodles

the two cuisines share many other sensibilities such as their love of pristine ingredients

and umami (savory, that “fifth taste,” after salty, sweet, sour, and bitter).

There is also the Japanese dedication to craft, so subtle and nuanced as to be completely

imperceptible, fused with Mediterranean ‘sprezzatura’ or nonchalance, making it appear

to be effortless. Both influences effectively transform pristine raw ingredients according

to culinary traditions thousands of years old.

Foodandwine.com predicts that in 2020 there will be a rise in itameshi cuisine as many

Japanese chefs have gone to Italy to apprentice and come home with traditional Italian

cooking techniques that they then use with Japanese ingredients. At the same time,

chefs in America are openly exploring the true extent of this connection, working to

create something like a new Italian-Chinese-Japanese fusion.

Angie Rito of Pasta Omakase says that she and her partner Scott Tacinelli were inspired

to begin their fusion pop-up for one simple reason: People really like this food. “Both

cuisines now appeal to a wide audience, but separately,” Rito says. “At their core, they

focus on the same things — so it makes sense to mix them together.”