Carlisle FoodService Products Blog

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Kitchen Flare-Ups

Starring Chef Jordan
Episode 1 - Pandemonium… Put a lid on it!

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Thursday, July 24, 2008

U.S. FOODSERVICE’S NEW COOKBOOK RAISES $395,000 TO HELP FEED AMERICA’S HUNGRY

America’s Second Harvest today announced that sales of the U.S. Foodservice cookbook Recipes From the Heart™ has thus far raised more than $395,000 to help feed the nation’s hungry.

Recipes from the Heart™ is a 336-page cookbook filled with more than 350 delicious recipes, together with many heartwarming stories from the hearts and kitchens of associates of U.S. Foodservice. Net sales of the cookbook, priced at $24.99, are donated directly to America’s Second Harvest.

The cookbook is one of four components making up the U.S. Foodservice’s “Full Plates, Full Lives” campaign. Other events include the Independence from Hunger giving campaign in July, the inaugrual Drive Away Hunger golf tournament in September, and a Scare Away Hunger food drive in October.

“U.S. Foodservice has made bold, innovative, and extremely generous plans to help end hunger in America,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of America’s Second Harvest. “Engaging their employees in the creation of the cookbook and in their other fundraising efforts on our behalf has served an invaluable purpose – raising awareness of the pervasiveness of hunger in our country, and inspiring thousands of people to join the fight against hunger.”

“At U.S. Foodservice we know food, and we understand the bounty food brings. Yet in America, a staggering one out of 10 people live with constant uncertainty about the source of their next meal,” said Bob Aiken, president and Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Foodservice. “That is why we have partnered with America’s Second Harvest, the largest charitable hunger-relief organization in the country, to help bring food to those in need.”

This beautifully illustrated cookbook, with a foreword by celebrity chef Paula Deen, tells the story of how all Americans can help put food on the table of those in need.

Recipes were submitted by U.S. Foodservice employees from across the nation as part of a company-wide campaign to raise $1 million in cash and product donations to help to end hunger in America.

Recipe fare includes everything from Apple Dip to appetizing Crab Fluffs and Tortilla Pinwheels; time-honored biscuits and yeast rolls, plus aromatic Cardamom Orange Braid, with whipped orange butter. Breakfast fare includes not-so-traditional quiches like Hot-Dog-Pie.  Entrée recipes run the gamut from Deb’s Meatloaf and Chuck Wagon Chili to Upper Peninsula Pastries, Spendini and New York Maple Lamb Brochettes, Grandma Striney’s Pierogi, Mom’s Chicken and Dumplings, and Macaroni and Cheese with Bechamel Sauce. To go with your entrée, try Janet’s Spinach Kugel, Carrot Soufflé Supreme or Hoppin’ Juan’s Black Beans and Rice. There is a broccoli salad, a Hawaiian Chicken Salad, a cookie salad and more; chowders and squash soups, a microwave French onion soup and even a Mac-n-Cheese Soup. And then there are the desserts: 116 of them. Bars, puddings, cheesecakes; cookies of all kinds, including Andy’s Suspension Cookies and Date Pinwheel Cookies; Fresh Peach Pie and Concord Grape Pie; Coconut Clouds, apple crisp and strudel, Missma’s Pear Preserves, fudges, To-Die-For Lemon bars, and lots more.

The net proceeds from the cookbook (about two-thirds of the cost of each book) will be donated to America’s Second Harvest.  Every dollar donated helps provide 20 pounds of food and grocery products to people that face hunger in the United States.  Each year, America’s Second Harvest member food banks provide more than 2 billion pounds of food and grocery products to more than 25 million people at risk of hunger– 9 million of whom are children.

To preview or purchase a copy of “Recipes from the Heart” or to learn more about U.S. Foodservice’s “Full Plates, Full Lives” campaign, please visit: www.FullPlatesFullLives.com.

A limited number of review copies are available to credentialed member of the press by contacting Kara Kozimor at U.S. Foodservice at 443-259-2004 or

About U.S. Foodservice
U.S. Foodservice is one of the country’s premier foodservice distributors, offering a broad range of products and an array of services to its more than 250,000 customers. The company proudly employs more than 26,000 associates in 70 locations nationwide who are poised to service our customers beyond their expectations. As industry leaders, with access to resources beyond the ordinary, U.S. Foodservice provides the finest quality food and related products to neighborhood restaurants, hospitals, schools, colleges and universities, hotels, government entities and other eating establishments. To find out how U.S. Foodservice can be your “partner beyond the plate,” please visit the company’s website at www.usfoodservice.com.

America’s Second Harvest — The Nation’s Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through its network of more than 200 member food banks, America’s Second Harvest annually provides assistance to more than 25 million people in need, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each year, America’s Second Harvest secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of food and grocery products to support feeding programs at approximately 63,000 local charitable agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. To learn more, please visit www.secondharvest.org.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Food Safety Is Always in Season

As more operators, commercial and non-commercial alike, continue to embrace the notion of sustainable foodservice, they seem to do so with an emphasis on the ingredients they use. And much like the morning glories that continue to grow rampantly in my backyard, the movement seems to show no signs of slowing down.

The notion of bringing the farm to the restaurant table by having the foodservice operator source locally, or regionally, grown, seasonal ingredients is a pretty good one. I like it because it seems to me as if changing ingredients with the seasons challenges operators to keep their menus fresh, which should spur further creativity and keep consumers like myself engaged.

As refreshing as this seemingly new-found emphasis on ingredients and their sourcing may be to all of us, it does not take the emphasis off some of the most fundamental aspects of operating a foodservice facility, namely food safety.

Want proof? Look no further than the salmonella outbreak from earlier this year. Initially, the authorities suspected that tomatoes were the main reason for this outbreak, when it was first reported back in April.

Just last week, though, the FDA declared it was OK to eat tomatoes again and indicated that hot peppers, such as raw jalapenos and serranos are under investigation to determine if they played a role in the outbreak. The people who grow tomatoes and have menu items that prominently feature this key ingredient, probably breathed a sigh of relief at the news despite the fact that the residual effect of this outbreak is that many people remain wary about the safety of everyday foods.

Foodservice Buyers Be Aware
And that wariness extends to their view of foods purchased away from home. In an effort to shore up consumer confidence, some major multi-unit operators have launched significant advertising campaigns that showcase the great pains they take to ensure quality ingredients. Of course, none of this matters if they are not able to maintain a food-safe environment at the store level.

While I encourage foodservice operators to embrace the concept of sustainability by shopping farmers’ markets and sourcing their ingredients in other ways that make sense to their business, it’s important to remember to examine what effect these changes will have on your ability to maintain a food-safe environment.

That’s because in reality, the most sustainable practice of all is building a growing and thriving foodservice operation that can withstand the tests of time.

Other Suggested Articles:

Sustainable Equipment for Sustainable Food

Operating a Food-Safe Environment

Designing a Food-Safe Kitchen

Author: Joseph Carbonara :: Foodservice Equipment & Supplies

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Supply-chain Solutions Needed to Protect Margins

iTrade Webinar Offers Range of Suggestions for Maintaining Profitability
In order to protect margins in the face of today’s economic deceleration and overwhelming food cost inflation, foodservice supply chain trading partners must tightly and precisely manage their businesses and relationships, according to three operators that participated in an iTradeNetwork webinar earlier this week. 

The margin-protecting solutions were not only meant to remove costs but also drive business to restaurants.

Michael Barner, vice president of field system solutions, Compass Group, advised the industry – manufacturers, distributors and operators – to consider solutions from a supply-chain perspective. Barner suggested that company leaders must manage suppliers, control order entry, facilitate purchasing of the right products, and measure procurement while searching for improvements.

Distributors can play a beneficial role in this situation by working with operators, notably multi-unit ones, in developing competitively priced private-label programs. Michael Ochs, vice president of supply chain services, IDQ/USCI, related how the chain operator is negotiating with distributors that are apprehensive about stocking some special-request products because they already stock products that are similar to their own brands.

“The problem with most distributor-label products that are purchased by restaurants such as Dairy Queen is that they have huge mark ups that make them uncompetitive with private labels. We can do our own private label tortilla much cheaper than the same tortilla marketed under the Sysco or U.S. Foodservice label because of their margins,” Ochs said. “But if we can work together and eliminate an SKU for distributors and save the money that we’re trying to save then that could be a win-win situation.”

In response to question about the advisability of aggressive operator marketing at this time, a course of action that distributors could proactively prescribe to their customers, Ochs emphatically replied “yes.” He said it is one of the approaches that Dairy Queen has always been stressing to its unit operators.

“What we’re stressing even more now is community involvement because at times like this people support the ones who support them. Dairy Queen is in small towns not urban centers. We really try as much as we can to get operators to support their local communities because when times are tough, they’ll support the people who supported them,” Ochs said.

Replying to a query about best practices that maintain competitiveness in a challenging environment, Ron Hall, vice president, Senior Resources Alliance, a senior living facility, recommended that operators reengineer their menus and product mix with an eye toward understanding what is being bought.

Dairy Queen’s Ochs elaborated on this point, suggesting that operators pay close attention to making sure the negotiated price isn’t tampered with and that they’re buying the right products from optimum vendors.

He also recommended that operators not only negotiate good distributor programs but deal with good distributors as well. He qualified that to mean distributors that can get products “where they need to be, when they need to be there.”

Ochs said a “soup to nuts” approach to technology must be used so that e-commerce transactions are verified and confirmed down to the unit level.

Carolyn Littlefield, senior product marketing manager, iTradeNetwork, listed key steps that operators, with the help of distributors, can take to reduce food costs:

• Understand your spend opportunities and capabilities;
• Perform complete audits of contract pricing;
• Optimize products and vendors – make sure that operators aren’t buying 100 hotdog brands and that they aren’t diluting their spending dollars with too many products and vendors; focus spending dollars on particular, high-quality products;
• Work with vendors that are not only competitively priced but competitive in all areas of the business relationship;
• Reengineer menus by highlighting more profitable products;
• Control portions;
• Manage purchasing compliance and waste;
• Measure yourself against the market and verify your competitive position;
• Deliver value, offer patrons good experiences and don’t skimp on service and quality;
• Manage promotions, which can be positive to the bottom line but if they’re not managed then they can adversely affect the customer experience and inventory;
• Investigate extending into different day parts that may be attractive to consumers.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

U.S. TOURISM RISES 15 PERCENT IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2008

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration issued the following press release:

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced international visitation to the United States rose 15 percent, and visitor spending increased by 20 percent in the first quarter of 2008 over last year. In March 2008, visitation to the United States climbed substantially to 4.7 million, an increase of 19 percent over March 2007.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration issued the following press release:

The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced international visitation to the United States rose 15 percent, and visitor spending increased by 20 percent in the first quarter of 2008 over last year. In March 2008, visitation to the United States climbed substantially to 4.7 million, an increase of 19 percent over March 2007.

International visitors spent a record $11.4 billion in March, accounting for the 20 percent increase from March 2007. Spending by international travelers while in the United States, including travel receipts and passenger fares, is defined as a U.S. export. Travel and tourism to the United States contributes positively to the overall economy.

“America’s success is its openness, and being open to international travel and tourism to the United States boosts the U.S. economy,” said Commerce Assistant Secretary William G. Sutton. “Rising international visitation continues to have a positive impact on our travel and tourism industry. The strong start in the first quarter of 2008 builds on the momentum set in 2007, a record-breaking year for international arrivals and receipts.”

Highlights of International Arrivals to the United States for March and the First Quarter, 2008

* Overseas arrivals (excluding Canada and Mexico) increased 10 percent for the month compared to March 2007 and also for the first quarter of 2008.

* Visitation from Canada was up 26 percent for the month and 21 percent for the quarter.

* Mexican travel to the U.S. interior was up 31 percent in March and 18 percent for the quarter.

* Visitation from Western Europe increased 15 percent in March and 14 percent for the quarter.

* Arrivals from the United Kingdom were up 3 percent in March and 6 percent for the quarter.

* Visitation from other top Western European markets all increased by double-digits for the month of March 2008 as well as the first quarter compared to last year. German, French and Italian arrivals were up 20 percent, 11 percent and 36 percent, respectively, in March compared to March, 2007. The Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Sweden were up 17 percent, 48 percent, 24 percent and 25 percent, respectively, for the month.

Background:
Manufacturing and Services’ Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) collects, analyzes, and disseminates international travel and tourism statistics for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Statistical System. To view OTTI visitation data tables, please visit: http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/view/m-2008-I-001/index.html.

US Fed News—US Fed News, June 23, 2008 Monday 1:44 AM EST

Friday, June 20, 2008

There’s Only One Way to Make Money in Sales

Over the years I have bought and sold several rental properties. One of my recent houses needed some work done since the yard sloped toward the house and caused a water problem.

I was going to build a deck but first I needed to work on solving the water problem.

I started with a shovel. That lasted about 15 minutes. I knew there had to be a better way so I headed to the equipment rental company.

After I arrived and looked over the options, I decided on a Bobcat. A Bobcat is a small tractor with a bucket on the front that scoops up the dirt. The person renting me the equipment asked if I knew how to operate it. I said “of course,” thinking to myself: “how hard can it be?” I hooked it up to my truck and headed home.

I pulled up behind my house, sat in the bobcat seat and prepared to pull it off the trailer. I started the engine, let out the clutch and lost control.

It jerked ahead and by the time I figured how to stop it I had run into the gas meter and caused a gas leak. I immediately called the gas company and they were there in a matter of minutes to fix it.

I got back on the Bobcat and, as I was turning around, I lost control again and destroyed two sections of my fence.

As soon as I started digging my wife opened the door and said the TV cable was out. I told her to call the cable company and she said the phone didn’t work. The only thing I didn’t damage was the water main.

Twice during the day my neighbor, who is about 85 years old, walked over, looked at what I was doing, shook his head and walked away. At this point I really didn’t need any criticism.

At the end of the day – after eight hours - my yard sloped the right way. I was putting the Bobcat back on the trailer when my neighbor came over. I was expecting him to tell me I was crazy. Instead he said something that turned out to be the best compliment I have ever received. He said there are two kinds of people in the world. There are “spectators” and there are “doers.”

And then he walked away.

I have been selling my whole life and I know hundreds of selling techniques. But there is only one thing that will make you any money in the selling profession: you have to take action.

In a recent study about why ceos fail (based on researching about 30 ceos who had failed in the past 10 years), one of the most interesting things discovered was that once a failed ceo resigned, many of the organizations quickly rebounded under a new ceo. It would seem the ceo was the difference.

However, the study came to a fairly simple conclusion. ceo s don’t fail due to lack of strategy or a grand vision. They fail in execution: They simply don’t take action.

The same is true of sales professionals and their account relationships. A colleague of mine was recently doing interviews for a client to determine why some customers switched to the competition and others hadn’t. Many of the sales people who lost the accounts made reference to problems with the product, delivery, service, etc. My colleague’s investigation showed the only common denominator was not the problems, but whether or not the sales person took action to solve the problems.

5 ACTION STEPS TO SUCCESS
• Under promise over deliver
• Don’t put it off – get it done now
• Attack with a sense of urgency
• Always be selling – always be closing
• Go the extra mile for every customer

The bottom line question is: Are you a spectator or a doer?

-Bob Oros, CSP, CMC, is president and founder of More Gross Profit Institute. A long-time contributor of sales training articles to ID Access (and ID), he can be reached at . Would you like to know how to cut two years off the learning curve of your newest rep and save $25,000 on your investment? Visit his website. The Institute’s website is located at: http://www.MoreGrossProfit.com , where more details can be found.

By Bob Oros

Attack the Market Aggressively

“In the 50 years that I have been involved in foodservice distribution, I have never experienced such a challenging atmosphere for our industry, which also includes our customers and vendors,” said Stephen Horowitz.

The closest period I can remember is when we had price controls, which caused great problems.

Restaurants are facing far higher costs of product, ever increasing labor and other operating costs, and lower revenues. With fewer customers, restaurants are reluctant to adequately pass along their cost increases.

In this business climate, you are going to see the following categories of responses:

• Many will do nothing, and hope for the best.

• Some will either sell, merge or buy a competitor with the hope that the business combination will make them better able to cope with these challenging conditions.

• There will be more strategic alliances where two companies will combine or work together in certain parts of their operations with the idea of reducing costs, increasing revenues, or both of the above.

• Some will attempt to get more market share from their competitors.

• Some will try to dramatically lower operating costs as a way to get through tough times. Companies need to be careful about cutting so deep that they can’t sell or service their accounts as before the operating reductions.

While all of the five approaches have merit, I believe in a more aggressive sales effort, and I look at this difficult period as a great opportunity. Some distributors tell me it costs approximately $100 per delivery. If you only deliver a $500 order, that is a +20% cost just for the delivery. If the order is $3,000, it might cost $140, or less than 5%.

Hopefully, both you and the customer can share in the savings. If there is ever a time the customer should be open to consolidation, to cut costs, it should be now. Of course, with consolidation, your customer will place fewer orders, process fewer deliveries, and have more time to build his business. This is the time to tell this story to customers who have multiple vendors.

Look for more acquisition activity. My own company is presently involved with 10 transactions.

No doubt, the times are challenging, but if you attack the market aggressively, you will be far better positioned when business conditions improve.

- Steve Horowitz is principal of Stephen Horowitz & Associates of Beverly Hills, CA, and a member of the ID Editorial Advisory Board. He can be reached at .
By Stephen Horowitz

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Dining Out Declines

By FES Staff—Foodservice Equipment & Supplies

More than half (54 percent) of people who dine out regularly are cutting back on restaurant spending because of the economy, according to a recent report published by Mintel, a Chicago-based research firm. Rising gas and food costs, home foreclosures, and a fear of recession have caused many Americans to curb out-to-eat spending, the report said.

Seventy percent of those trying to cut back are saving money by going out to eat less, rather than by choosing cheaper entrées or dining at less expensive restaurants, Mintel said. However, the survey still showed consistent restaurant usage; three-quarters of survey respondents went out to dinner at least once in the past week. On average, people who dined out reported eating 2.3 evening meals from a restaurant in the past seven days.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

FE&S Names Zena Dater 2008 DSR of the Year

By FES Staff—Foodservice Equipment & Supplies

In front of a capacity crowd of more than 340 foodservice professionals, FE&S named Zena Dater of Oswalt Restaurant Supply in Oklahoma City, its 2008 DSR of the Year. Dater accepted the award during FE&S’ annual Dealer of the Year & Industry Awards Gala at the Chicago Four Seasons Hotel.

Since joining Oswalt more than 12 years ago, Dater has watched her sales climb steadily and they should approach $8 million this year. Prior to joining Oswalt, Dater spent more than two decades working in the restaurant industry on the operator side.

“Zena’s product knowledge, passion and ability to treat all customers with the same level of respect, regardless of their size, has helped fuel her impressive growth,” said Brian Schilling, FE&S’ publisher. “And thanks to Zena’s efforts with the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, her track record of giving back to the local restaurant community she serves is exemplary.”

Also making headlines during the evening was Tacoma, Wash.-based Bargreen Ellingson, which was recognized as FE&S’ 28th Dealer of the Year; and Rodney Wasserstrom of The Wasserstrom Co., who earned the magazine’s Hall of Fame Award.

Other individuals receiving awards include:

Top Achiever-Dealers: Paul Watts of Associated Food Equipment & Supplies Inc., Gulfport, Miss.; and Loubat Equipment Co., New Orleans
Top Achiever-Consultant: Michael Johnson, Culinary Design Center LLC, Atlanta
Top Achiever-Service Agent: John Swanson, Bildon Parts and Service Inc., Livonia, Mich.
Top Achiever-Manufacturers’ Rep: Jeffery Couch, PMG, Van Nuys, Calif.
Facility Design Project of the Year: John Egnor of JEM Associates for his design of Harrah’s Waterfront Buffet, Atlantic City, N.J.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Restaurants push for more green; Big chains embrace initiative; smaller operators pressured

By Mike Hughlett, TRIBUNE REPORTER—Chicago Tribune, Chicagoland Final Edition

The restaurant industry unveiled a big push to go green Monday, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Or a worse time, depending on your perspective.

At its annual convention in Chicago, the National Restaurant Association launched an initiative to lessen the industry’s environmental impact—cutting energy use, reducing waste and so on. While clad in feel-good green, such an initiative could also have long-term economic benefits for restaurants.

But in the short term, many restaurants are hurting, battling a soft economy and soaring ingredient and labor costs. The upshot: Restaurant chains with deep pockets, like McDonald’s Corp., are likely to seize the moment and sink money into going green. And small operators with shrinking cash flows are more likely to hold back.

“They just don’t have the reserves to invest,” said Chris Muller, restaurant management professor at the University of Central Florida.

“The richer companies, typically significant chains, they can pounce in times of economic adversity and use [going green] as a competitive advantage,” he said. “In a down market, you invest capital because you know the market will come back.”

Going green is a that can easily become mere marketing babble. In the restaurant business, “we really don’t know how to define what green really means,” Muller said. Still, green practices generally would decrease energy and water use, while increasing recycling and cutting back on waste.

The National Restaurant Association is trying to spread the green word through a program called “Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability.” It features a Web site with tips ranging from inexpensive advice to information on major projects.

Major investments can have long-term paybacks, said Richard Young, senior engineer at Fisher Nickel, a California-based food-service research firm. For instance, a restaurant can choose to buy a new fryer for $800, or shell out $3,400 for a more energy-efficient model. The latter would likely last twice as long and save an operator more than $2,000 in energy costs in an eight-year period, Young said.

Most restaurant operations are full of cost-saving and energy-saving opportunities, he said. And restaurant companies are looking even harder at them now as their other costs, from ingredients to labor, are rising at a fast clip, Young said.

Oak Brook-based restaurant giant McDonald’s began paying attention to conservation during the 1970s energy crisis and has bolstered its efforts in recent years. Its strategy is based on purchasing the most energy-efficient equipment—from grills and fryers to heating systems—coupled with everyday energy-saving practices, such as running equipment only when necessary.

Last year, McDonald’s said it cut carbon dioxide emissions by 200,000 tons and made a 3.75 percent reduction in energy use at company-owned stores. Those energy-saving measures saved the company $30 million, said Jill Scandridge, a McDonald’s spokeswoman.

McDonald’s is building its first full-scale “green restaurant” on Chicago’s South Side. It will include low-flow toilets and skylights that allow for natural light during the day.

“It’s really our learning lab for sustainable tactics,” said Max Carmona, McDonald’s senior director of U.S. restaurant design. “What works here we can take to a larger scale in the future.”

(Page compiled from Tribune staff, wire reports)

Friday, April 18, 2008

Small Bites Are Big

A National Restaurant Association survey of 1,000 chefs voted bite-size plates (such as Duo’s shrimp and gouda risotto fritters) the hottest ‘08 trend. Mini-items crowding Denver menus include Kobe beef sliders and mini lobster tacos (both from Nine75 and pictured below and on the cover), pint-size ham and cheese (Fado), meatball sliders (Osteria Marco), mini- cheeseburgers (Ted’s Montana Grill), open-face mini-paninis (Alba), Bambino burgers (Good Times) and, for dessert, Sonic’s cheesecake bites. Even wine gets itty-bitty with half-glasses and multi- wine sampling flights.

http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom/pressrelease.cfm?ID=1579

Strengthening Supply-Chain Partnerships is Goal of Numerous Educational Sessions

NEW YORK – Foodservice distributors that send their delegations to the 2008 NRA Show in Chicago will more than likely benefit from the wide range of educational sessions that are designed to enhance supply-chain cooperation among the attendees.

While the show floor alone offers the world’s largest new product launches, according to Mary Pat, senior vice president, convention, for the National Restaurant Association, the 66 educational sessions will teach distributors how to help their cooperator-customers – commercial and noncommercial, independent and chain – stay profitable even in today’s uncertain business climate.

“The NRA Show is the largest collection of food manufacturers in one place. This is the place to meet top executives from the supplier community. In addition, distributors can meet their operator-customers and colleagues,” Pat told ID. “Many of the panels have been designed to strengthen the distributor-operator relationship and provide information and insights with which distributors can further partner with operators in a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

One session, moderated by Mark Allen, president of the International Foodservice Distributors Association, is specifically focused on helping to improve the bond between operators and distributors.

Other topics include food costing, energy efficiency, sustainability, organic products, health and wellness and food safety. On the show floor, Pat said, distributors will see the latest in trendy foods, such as ethnic items, sustainable seafood, organic produce, cage-free products, and popular bite-size desserts.

“There are a lot of things to be learned by distributors not only about themselves but about their customers as well. The sessions will help distributors be successful partners in these unstable economic conditions. We really need everyone in the chain partnering with one another in the most efficient and effective way possible.”

The following is that portion of the 66 educational sessions that particularly pertains to the supply chain, distribution and adding value to distributor services:

DISTRIBUTION & SUPPLY CHAIN
Building a Strong Supply Foundation: A Template for Successful Growth
Saturday, May 17, 12 Noon - 1:30 PM
Lee Plotkin, FCSI

How Your Distributor Can Help You Compete
Saturday, May 17, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Mark Allen, president & CEO, International Foodservice Distributors Association, moderator, and Richard Hatcher, vice president, merchandising, Saval Foodservice; Todd Hauser, AFDR president, Martin Bros. Distributing Co.; Michael Kostinsky, president, Sorrento Catering, and Bryan Choi, president, Market Creations.

ENERGY & ECOLOGY
Paying for Sustainability: Using Technology Tools to Minimize Waste and Reduce Food Costs
Saturday, May 17, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
LeanPath CEO Andrew Shakman and Joe Flesher, operations director, Aramark Healthcare; Cheryl Lounsberry, food and nutrition director, Iowa Health Des Moines, Steve Peterson, executive chef, The MGM Grand, and Michael Babines, vice president, Vision Software.

5 Things Operators Must Know About Energy Efficiency
Saturday, May 17, 12 Noon - 1:30 PM
Richard Young, senior engineer and director of education at PG&E’s Food Service Technology Center, and Kate Lewis, marketing manager with EPA’s ENERGY STAR program.

New Ways to Power Your Business
Monday, May 19, 12 Noon - 1:30 PM
Doug Stingle, of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association

ORGANIC & SUSTAINABLE
Organic Growth: Being Green to Build Customer Loyalty
Sunday, May 18, 12 Noon - 1:30 PM
Arlin Wasserman, Sodexo’s new VP of corporate citizenship.

Making Your Seafood Choices More Sustainable
Sunday, May 18, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Mike Boots, director of Seafood Choices Alliance.

Casual Dining Goes Organic
Sunday, May 18, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Elaine McFadden, corporate dietitian for Nature’s Path Foodservice, and Olga Kras, registered dietitian and owner of Organic Wellness Cafe.

Marketing to Conserving Customers: A Guide to Operating Green with a Triple Bottom Line
Monday, May 19, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko, operators of self-sustaining Inn Serendipity.

Steve Ells on Food With Integrity: Creating a Sustainable Food Supply
Monday, May 19, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Steve Ells, founder, chairman and CEO, Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Lean, Green, & Clean: Environmental Practices in Collegiate Foodservice
Tuesday, May 20, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Moderated by Shawn LaPean, director of Cal Dining for the University of California-Berkely, this panel discussion includes: David Annis, NACUFS president, Diane Hardy, director of food and auxiliary services at the University of Richmond; Lester Prue, unit manager at Bowdoin College; and Rafi Taherian, executive director of Yale University Dining Services. Presented in cooperation with The National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS).

It’s All About Results: Sustainability in the Food Chain - Emphasis on Animal Products
Saturday, May 17, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Jeffrey Armstrong, dean and professor, Michigan State University, and Janice Swanson, professor and director of Animal Welfare, Michigan State University, and Todd Bacon, U.S. supply chain management, McDonald’s Corp.

ADDING VALUE TO DISTRIBUTOR SERVICES
How to Lower Your Food Cost 5% in 30 Days
Sunday, May 18, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Frank Kalmar, FMP, co-founer of Tepper-Kalmar Associates.

Hotel Industry Leadership Panel 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Moderated by Joseph McInerney, president, American Hotel & Lodging Association, with a panel of hotel industry executives: Thomas Corcoran, chairman of the board, American Hotel & Lodging Association; Nancy Johnson, executive vice president, Carlson Hotels Worldwide; James Chu, senior vice president-franchising and owner relations, Global Hyatt Corporation, and John J. Russell, Jr., ceo, NYLO Hotels, LLC. Presented in cooperation with the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association.

Hottest Trends in Healthy Dining
Tuesday, May 20, 12 Noon - 1:30 PM
Erica Bohm, vice president, Healthy Dining, along with a panel of experts.

Pre-Design Planning for Commercial Restaurants: A Win-Win Strategic Approach
Monday, May 19, 12 Noon - 1:30 PM
Moderated by Tucker W. “Bill” Main, FCSI, Bill Main & Associates, ID contributing editor. Presented in cooperation with Foodservice Consultants Society International.

Noncommercial Foodservice: The Value & Rewards of Strategic Pre-Design Planning
Monday, May 19, 12 Noon - 1:30 PM
Moderated by John Cornyn, FCSI, Cornyn-Fasano Group. Presented in cooperation with Foodservice Consultants Society International.

New Trends in School Nutrition
Monday, May 19, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Mary Hill and Katie Wilson, School Nutrition Association’s president and president elect, respectively; along with chef Jeff McClure, director of culinary services for Sodexo School Services. Presented in cooperation with the School Nutrition Association (SNA).

FOOD SAFETY
Protecting Your Investment: A Legal Compliance Guide for Restaurants
Sunday, May 18, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Hospitality lawyer Stephen Barth

Crisis Planning: Business Continuity Workshop for Restaurateurs
Monday, May 19, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Dr. Donna Garren, vice president of Health and Regulatory Affairs, National Restaurant Association, along with panelists: Paul Andrew, senior vice president, Weber Shandwick; Michael Simmons, director of risk management, El Pollo Loco, and Dr. Katie Swanson, vice president, food safety, Ecolab.

As always, the Strawberry Party will kick off the NRA Show. Ideal Media, the publisher of ID, will hold this annual fundraiser for The Culinary Institute of America and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation on Friday, May 16, at 10 PM, at The Stadium Club at Soldier’s Field; 1410 South Museum Campus Drive; Gate 14, Southeast side of stadium.

Increase Fueled by New Regulations; Smart Labels to Lead Interest

NEW YORK – U.S. demand for food safety products will increase 6.5% per year to $3.2 billion in 2012, according to researcher The Freedonia Group, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.

The increase should be significant to foodservice distributors not only because they stock perishable food products and must maintain their integrity but also because they daily interface with the nation’s commercial and non-commercial eating establishments who demand on them for the latest information and technology.

As ID learned from recent distributor observations, food safety remains a No.1 concern along the supply chain. Consequently, Freedonia analyst Pauline Tung told ID that they will be influenced by the increased concerns regarding food safety.

“One way distributors can address these concerns is through the use of smart labels and tags, which provide traceability throughout the distribution chain, as well as provide a record of environmental conditions during food transport. In particular, RFID tags are expected to play a larger role in providing traceability and supply chain management in the future,” Tung said.

Tung believes that strong gains in food safety product demand will be seen in foodservice establishments, where disinfection products will benefit from increased emphasis on sanitation and employee hygiene, especially following highly publicized food contamination incidents such as the E. coli outbreak at Taco Bell restaurants in late 2006.

The Freedonia study, released earlier this month, found that strong gains will result from increased spending on food safety initiatives, as consumer and industry concerns rise following several well-publicized foodborne illness outbreaks, nationwide food product recalls and the discovery of contaminants in a variety of imported food products.

The adoption of new rules and regulations to ensure the safety of the food supply will also boost demand, the researcher said. Disinfection and diagnostic products are expected to provide the best overall opportunities. However, Freedonia pointed out, the fastest growth will be in smart labels and tags due to improvements to the traceability infrastructure in companies and advances in technology, while more moderate growth in preservatives will restrain aggregate gains.

According to the study, disinfection products will continue to account for the largest portion of demand. Disinfectants and sanitation chemicals are used at all levels of food production, processing, preparation, service and sale, reflecting their inexpensive nature, effectiveness and ease of use. Disinfection equipment will see more rapid gains, boosted by the increasing popularity of relatively new technologies such as ultraviolet and ozone disinfection.

These technologies offer many advantages, including environmental friendliness, reduction of losses due to spoilage and increased shelf life. Ozone and ultraviolet disinfection preserves food properties such as texture, taste and color, which tend to be altered when using traditional pasteurization equipment to sterilize food and beverages through the application of heat.

Diagnostic products will also see strong opportunities, Freedonia said. In particular, rapid diagnostic testing tools will continue to gain market share over conventional products as they allow companies to increase testing frequency and reduce inventory hold times. Diagnostic testing tools for pathogens will remain the most important category, especially following several foodborne outbreaks related to pathogens, such as the Salmonella contaminated peanut butter that sickened more than 400 people across the country in 2006 and 2007. Tests for residues and allergens will also post strong growth, boosted by consumer concerns regarding the presence of pesticides and drugs (e.g., antibiotics) in food, and FDA regulations, such as new allergen labeling requirements.

Smart labels and tags will experience double-digit annual growth due to rising demand for the added security and efficiency they can provide. Growth in software and tracking systems will not match that of smart labels and tags, since many software programs are already capable of integrating with RFID-based systems and providing the traceability information required by companies. Demand for preservatives will advance at a below-average rate, due to market maturity, the growing popularity of organic food, and new pasteurization and packaging technologies, such as high-pressure post-packaging pasteurization, that minimize the need for preservatives.

Freedonia indicated that food processing plants will continue to represent the largest market for food safety products. Meat and seafood processing are particularly prone to contamination, and high profile outbreaks and recalls, including the recall of over 143 million lbs. of ground beef in February 2008, will put pressure on meat and seafood processing companies to invest in food safety products. Among the other markets, the strongest gains will be seen in foodservice establishments, where disinfection products will benefit from increased emphasis on sanitation and employee hygiene, the researcher said.

Due to the diverse nature of food safety products, a large number of companies compete in the marketplace, and no one company operates in all market sectors, Freedonia concluded. In 2007, the top six companies – Ecolab, JohnsonDiversey, 3M, Becton Dickinson, Bio-Rad Laboratories and SPX Corp. – together supplied only 20% of the market. Freedonia said Ecolab and JohnsonDiversey are leaders in the disinfectants and sanitizers market, while SPX is a leader in disinfection equipment. 3M, Becton Dickinson and Bio-Rad Laboratories are major diagnostic product suppliers.

Analyzing labels and tags, along with providing product identification and basic nutrition information delivery, Freedonia said they have long served as fundamental tools in food safety by affording users with some indication of how long food will remain unspoiled (i.e., safe to eat). More recently, the researcher continued, additional information has been added to food product labels to alert consumers of the presence of potentially dangerous allergens or trace contaminants (e.g., mercury in fish).

Despite these food safety benefits, Freedonia said these labels and tags are not being considered food safety products, as their primary role is still centered around product identification and marketing. In a similar way, labels used in restaurants and other foodservice establishments to identify food containers are not considered food safety products because they are regarded as providing basic identification information with no immediate food safety benefit.

Freedonia observed that smart labels and tags, in contrast, do not have a marketing or product-naming function. In some cases smart labels and tags directly interact with the food or environment to provide food safety related information. Additionally, bar codes and radio frequency identification (RFID) chips are used in distribution operations to provide traceability information, an increasingly important food safety issue. However, like conventional paper and plastic labels, bar codes and RFID tags used as basic labels on individual products are not included.

Smart labels and tags accounted for about 7% of the food safety products market in 2007, making it the fourth largest product category, Freedonia said. Demand for smart labels and tags will advance 10.1% annually to $260 million in 2012, driven by the rapid adoption of new smart label technology in food packaging.

To a smaller extent, demand will by supported by the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) program, implementation of which has been much slower than anticipated.

Freedonia expects growth in RFID tags to be strong, as large cattle and pig farms look to speed animal transfer and processing at feed lots and slaughterhouses. Bar code tag and label advances will be restrained due to a mature market, and eventual loss of market share to RFID tags in the longer term.

While technology is pushing the boundaries and opening new opportunities for food safety products, Freedonia said that nowhere is this truer than in smart labels and tags. Many of the applications that smart labels and tags enable would not be feasible if the technology did not exist.

For example, the researcher noted, smart labels that report product exposure to adversely high temperatures during transport and storage are providing information that simply was not previously available to either the retailer or consumer. From a food safety standpoint, smart labels and tags are considered important if they provide traceability, or some indication of a condition change that would affect the safety of the food.

Traceability has become an important issue for both the government and for the food and beverage and foodservice industries, the researcher pointed out. From a government perspective, being able to rapidly track down the source of an infectious agent is a public health issue, allowing the government to contain active outbreaks and prevent future ones. Freedonia said new regulations require food and beverage companies to keep records that identify both what raw materials went into a specific food product and where the raw material was from, and to whom the food product was shipped, for a period of two years.

Freedonia recognizes that the food and beverage industry is looking for the most effective way of complying with these regulations, and the use of bar code and RFID tags is expected to help automate the process, reducing the overall financial impact of compliance.

For the food and beverage and foodservice industries traceability allows companies to minimize risk by sourcing raw materials from suppliers that are both known to be reliable and to have high-quality products, the study found. To be fully effective, traceability must be implemented all the way from the farm to the store or restaurant. Already bar codes and RFID tags are used at the farm to track either individual animals, or in the case of poultry, flocks. The majority of usage, however, is in distribution and storage to track product movement and inventory levels.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

HFM Analysis Forecasts Foodervice Innovations

Dining facility renovations represents a leading factor in the healthcare foodservice market, according to a membership survey conducted by the National Society for Healthcare Foodservice Management (HFM). The survey also found that the popularity of room service remains on the rise in the segment.

For example, more than half of the HFM members participating in the survey indicated they plan to break ground on a major foodservice construction or renovation project within the next two years.

With respect to room service, transitioning to this model has proven beneficial. According to the participating HFM members, 74 percent reported that patient satisfaction scores had increased as a result of implementing room service. And among that group, 81 percent said their scores increased by more than 10 percent.

Operators continue to put a greater emphasis on innovative ways to keep their staff and visitors happy. A retail, cashless system, which allows customers to pay for their hospital cafeteria meals conveniently with the scan of a prepaid card, key or an online service, is used at more than half of the members’ facilities, according to the survey results.

A group of 271 HFM members responded to the survey, which inquired about their patient meal service, retail restaurants, cafes, kiosks, practices, operations and construction plans. Visit HFM’s web site to learn more.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Successful Distributors Must Work Harder to Help Operators Survive Economic Downturn

NEW YORK – Since not all periods of economic stress have resulted in traffic declines for operators, concluded a recent study by The NPD Group, contemporary growth in the industry, including for foodservice distributors, will be predicated on seizing market share from competitors, according to one of the researcher’s officials.

While today’s slowing economy is having an impact on the restaurant industry, the Port Washington, NY, researcher’s report reviewed similar situations over the past three decades and discovered that not all periods of economic stress resulted decreased patron attendance for the restaurant industry. Furthermore, the study pointed out, downward trends may not be driven by the economy alone.

The NPD Group’s latest study shows that over the past three decades not all periods of economic stress resulted in traffic declines for the restaurant industry. (Chart courtesy of The NPD Group.)

Harry Balzer, vice president and author of The NPD Group’s annual “Eating Patterns in America” report, believes that, depending on which operator segment the distributor is supplying, revenues this year may not be as bad as some prognostications may claim.

“The environment is about market share. Who’s doing the right things? Which restaurants are bringing out new things to capture a greater share of consumer’s eating-out habits. Today there is more growth in capturing market share than there is in eating out,” Balzer said during an interview with ID.

Distributors nowadays don’t have the luxury of growing by supplying a customer base that is enjoying the benefits of consumers simply wanting to dine out, Balzer said. While Americans will still eat out because they detest cooking at home, they may not be going out as often and perhaps not to their favorite eateries.

“Now it’s all about capturing market share,” he said.

NPD reported that the restaurant industry has gone through five stressful periods in the last three decades, four of which were recession related. The downturn in 1979 was tied to exceptionally high inflation. While each recessionary period had its own unique characteristics, NPD found that current conditions are most similar to those experienced in 1979 and 1980, when the industry experienced it steepest traffic losses.

The restaurant industry posted no organic growth in 2007. Total customer traffic was barely up one percent (0.7%), driven primarily by unit expansion, which suggests that traffic was flat on a comparable-store basis, NPD said in announcing its latest study. This is the smallest traffic gain since the 2000-03 period of unrest.

“While the economy is a major factor here, this particular slowdown goes beyond just plain economics,” observed in the press release Bonnie Riggs, author of The NPD Group’s latest report, “Why This Downturn Will be Different for Restaurants.” “NPD is seeing consumer behavior at restaurants changing.”

Another factor influencing downward trends in restaurant sales is lifestyle changes, NPD indicated.

“One of the changes we’ve been watching is women in the workforce. Over the last several decades the restaurant industry’s growth was heavily driven by a greater percentage of women joining the workforce, but that trend is over,” said Balzer in the announcement. “The trend in working women may be more of a long-term issue for the industry than the current economic situation.”

Not only is differentiation essential for distributors’ success but so is their hands-on support and service, Balzer told ID.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR DISTRIBUTORS TO HELP OPERATORS “There is no better time than now for distributors to ask how they can help their customers. Everybody is affected by the downturn. Now is the time to help operators. Distributors must ask themselves what they can do to help their customers through this short-term issue because we’re all in this together,” Balzer said. “Right now there are many issues facing everyone in business. The question is, as a supplier to that business, how are you going to help your customers to get through this rough time because they are concerned about their health as much as distributors are about theirs.”

Differentiation can come in different forms but one that was cited by Balzer was working harder or servicing better the customer. He believes that it’s axiomatic that if distributors convince their operator-customers that they are able and willing to work more for them, then their accounts will give them more of their work to do.

“So the question is what’s going to make life easier for your customer?” he noted.

While that’s been true throughout history, Balzer said today’s uniqueness rests in the potentially dangerous situation that distributors can’t count on growth coming solely from Americans’ having greater need for the industry’s products.

“We still have need, but this condition pertains to greater need. The word is growth and it has to come at the expense of competitors,” he said.

NPD said that over the past year consumers have been eating more breakfasts and snacks at restaurants and fewer dinners, while historically dinner traffic held up during difficult economic times.

“Consumers are getting fewer main meals at restaurants and even though inflation at supermarkets is the highest it’s been in 17 years, there are more, fast and inexpensive options available to consumers at grocery stores that didn’t exist years ago,” said Riggs in the report. “Ready-to-eat meals, frozen meals, etc. have multiplied over the years giving consumers more options and putting additional downward pressure on the restaurant industry.”

Despite the challenges ahead for 2008, opportunities do exist. Riggs said restaurant operators and marketers need to understand what drives consumer behavior and how they manage their costs when they visit a restaurant.

Balzer told ID that opportunities exist in non-traditional foodservice venues that will soon emerge, such as supermarkets and c-stores, both of which can result in growth for sharp-eyed distributors.

“We know that consumers will always find a way to keep their check size down when economies slow down, and there are many different ways consumers do this,” indicted Riggs. “It is pretty clear that we are not going to have a strong environment moving the industry along in the near term. Customer traffic may stay positive in ’08 but will likely come in below ’07 levels (+0.7%). Restaurant companies need to look for new ways to offer value and find ways to make the restaurant experience as pleasant as possible.”

Confirming that distributors’ optimism is rightly founded on the expectation that consumers will always eat out, Balzer said that the tendency should not be regarded as a universal panacea. He warned that it has not yet been demonstrated that consumers will increase their dining out frequency. More than likely, they will slightly reduce their occasions, which will have positive effects on their pocket books but hurt the industry.

“Make no mistake Americans don’t want to cook, we’re just trying to figure out how to put food on the table the easiest and cheapest way possible,” said Balzer. “With restaurant meals costing three times that of in-home meals, the question is who will do the cooking?”

Distributors have to instruct their sales staffs to be on the alert for new foodservice venues that will satisfy operator and consumer needs and drive their growth.