Food & Food Equipment News

Regional Finalists for 2017 Star of the Bar Competition Announced

The National Restaurant Association® today announced the five finalists of the 2017 regional Star of the Bar competitions, who will fly to Chicago to face off in a live event on May 21 at BAR 17, the premier beverage-alcohol event, for a chance to win the coveted Star of the Bar title and $5,000 grand prize.

Presented by the National Restaurant Association and United States Bartenders’ Guild, Star of the Bar tasked competitors in five culinary cities—Boston, Chicago, Miami, Austin, and San Francisco—with creating an innovative cocktail for local judges. The Star of the Bar finals will feature an all-star panel of judges, including “World Class Bartender of the Year” Charles Joly; award-winning author and President & Master Mixologist of Creative Cocktail Consultants Brian Van Flandern; and Tony Abou-Ganim, a three-time winning contestant on “Iron Chef America,” and author of the Modern Mixologist. CEO/Founder of Rockit Ranch Productions Billy Dec will serve as emcee for the cocktail showdown.

The annual Star of the Bar regional competition series kicked off in Boston at the New England Food Show, with regional competitions concluding at Rye in San Francisco. The complete list of regional finalists competing for the Star of the Bar title at the NRA Show this May include:

• Boston Finalist: Tenzin Samdo

Restaurant/Bar: Tavern Road, Boston, Massachusetts

Winning cocktail: “Little Hut on Mitchell Road," a take on the classic Pina Colada recipe, made with Privateer Rum; housemade coconut pineapple milk, garam masala spices, Lune d'Abricot brandy, orgeat, and Peychaud’s Bitters, garnished with cherries and dried flowers

• Chicago Finalist: Luke Edson

Restaurant/Bar: The Berry & Rye, Omaha, Nebraska

Winning cocktail: "Typhoon," gin-based cocktail, created with muddled cucumber, housemade kaffir-lime leaf-coconut milk syrup, and lime juice, with a woven cucumber ribbon garnish

• Miami Finalist: Morgan Zuch

Restaurant/Bar: Datz, Tampa, Florida

Winning cocktail: “Perky Punch,” a tequila-based cocktail made with coffee-infused honey, crème de peche, cold-brewed coffee, and orange bitters served over a smoked, cold-brewed ice sphere, with a pickled peach garnish

• Austin Finalist: Nathan Reffell

Restaurant/Bar: Marriott Marquis Houston’s The High Dive, Houston, Texas

Winning cocktail: "The Garden Party," a Hendrick’s gin-based cocktail made with muddled red bell peppers, Aperol, cucumber juice, lemon, and simple syrup, garnished with cracked black pepper and cucumber ribbon

• San Francisco Finalist: Chad Brown

Place of work: B-Side, Sacramento, California

Winning cocktail: "Bittersweet," a stirred cocktail with Armagnac, Kronan Swedish Punsch, Aperol, Cocchi Americano, and a dash of Peychaud's Bitters, served with two bites – a candied orange peel and piece of dark chocolate

Held Sunday, May 21 and Monday, May 22 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, BAR 17 is co-located with NRA Show 17 and offers attendees the opportunity to share ideas through new programming, appearances by industry leaders, and an expanded exhibition floor.

Registration is open for beverage professionals and members of the media; a BAR 17 pass also includes access to the NRA Show from May 20-23. For more information on how to attend the final Star of the Bar showdown at NRA Show 2017, please visit the BAR 17 or NRA Show 2017 websites.

National Restaurant Association President & CEO Congratulates Andy Puzder on Nomination as Labor Secretary

President-elect Donald Trump has named CKE Restaurants Holdings Inc. CEO Andy Puzder as his choice for Secretary of Labor. Puzder has served as CEO of CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Hardee's, Carl's Jr. and other well-known restaurant brands, since 2000.

"We are excited about President-elect Trump's announcement that Andy Puzder will serve as our nation's next Secretary of Labor. As an active member of the National Restaurant Association, Andy brings much-needed business experience to the Department of Labor. He has a proven track record of turning around businesses, and his background in the restaurant industry will help foster an environment for job creation, said National Restaurant Association President and CEO Dawn Sweeney in a written statement addressing the nomination. "The restaurant industry is the second largest private sector employer in the country, employing more than 14 million people and producing more than $780 billion in sales annually. It is encouraging someone who has worked in the industry and understands its vast benefits to the American economy as well as the challenges it currently faces will serve in one of the highest posts in the Administration."

National Restaurant Association Welcomes Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance to the Association

The National Restaurant Association is welcoming the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) to the Association. The partnership is a result of the Association and MFHA's long history in working together to advance and promote the career and business opportunities for people of all color in America's second largest private sector employer- the restaurant industry. "For America's one million restaurants, promoting diversity is the key ingredient to our industry's success and we are thrilled to welcome MFHA to our Association family. Through this partnership, we will work together to showcase the incredible opportunity and real pathways to success restaurants provide to Americans of all backgrounds. We are proud to represent an industry that welcomes every American to our table," said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association.

"Since our inception, the NRA and the NRA Educational Foundation have supported MFHA's mission to increase cultural awareness and advance diversity throughout the hospitality industry. This represents a homecoming as we return to the organization that helped us get started to form a natural partnership. MFHA's Cultural Intelligence content will now be made available to the industry through the NRA's vast network. We are proud to partner with NRA and look forward to furthering our mission across the entire restaurant and hospitality community," said Gerry Fernandez, President and Founder of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance.

"As chair of Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance and a National Restaurant Association Education Foundation board member, I am proud to see our two organizations join forces with renewed commitment to increase cultural awareness and showcase the tremendous opportunities the hospitality industry provides to millions of Americans," said Roy Jackson, SVP, Business Development & Industry Affairs Foodservice & On-Premise Coca-Cola North America.

National Restaurant Association Calls for Applications for 2017 Kitchen Innovations Awards

The National Restaurant Association is now accepting applications for the 2017 Kitchen Innovations Awards. Now in its 13th year, the KI Awards program recognizes and celebrates meaningful advancements in foodservice equipment and technology. Recipients of the 2017 KI Awards will be featured in the popular Kitchen Innovations Pavilion at NRA Show 2017, to be held May 20-23 at Chicago's McCormick Place.

"Receiving a KI Award means that out of a thousand different companies, we are recognized for having an outstanding product," said Michael Bush, President of IceLink, a 2015 KI Award recipient. "What it does is bring a sense of credibility, a sense of value, of recognition and lets everyone know that the product is one that is going to bring value to the industry."

Suppliers can apply for a KI Award at Restaurant.org/Show/KI. KI Award recipients enjoy exclusive benefits including publicity though the NRA's media relations efforts, listings in NRA Show marketing and promotional materials, placement on the NRA Show website, and featured placement on the NRA Show floor in the Kitchen Innovations Pavilion where thousands of operators, dealers, consultants and media professionals can view demonstrations of the products over the course of four days.

The deadline to apply for a 2017 KI Award is December 5, 2016. To be considered, equipment and technology products must be introduced or have been introduced to the marketplace between May 2015 and May 2017. These products must demonstrate considerable benefits to foodservice operators as determined by our independent panel of industry experts, including Dan Bendall (Principal, FoodStrategy, Inc.), Jeff Cook (Chief Engineer, Restaurant Solutions Group, McDonald's Corporation), Richard Eisenbarth, FCSI (President/COO, Cini-Little International), Foster F. Frable, Jr., FCSI, Associate AIA (President, Clevenger Frable LaVallee), Randy Homer (Program Manager, Food & Beverage Operations Asset Management, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts), Jim Krueger, Jr., CMCE, NRAMF (Chief, Air Force Food & Beverage Policy, Procedures, Business Development & Strategic Initiatives Air Force Services Activity (AFSVA)), Aaron Lamotte (Senior Director, Performance Interiors, Sodexo Performance Interiors), Steve Otto (Director, Capital Equipment Purchasing, Darden), Kathleen H. Seelye, FFCSI, LEED (Managing Partner, Ricca Design Studios).

NRA Fights Back on New York's $15/Hour Rule

A lawyer for the National Restaurant Association told New York's Industrial Board of Appeals that the state's $15/hour minimum wage rule for quick service restaurants with 30 or more locations is discriminatory and should be overturned. Read more.

Bellavita Expo to Debut in U.S. at NRA Show

The National Restaurant Association has entered into an alliance with Quiris Media, which represents Bellavita Expo, a traveling exhibition made up of authentic Italian food and beverage producers, to bring their event to the United States for the first time ever during NRA Show 2016.

Bellavita Chicago will co-locate with NRA Show 2016, commanding approximately 20,000 square feet of exhibit space in Lakeside Center, adjacent to NRA Show booth space and the World Culinary Showcase event area. The event will feature Italian food and beverage producers, wine-focused educational sessions and demonstrations by Michelin-starred chefs. Entrance to Bellavita will be included in the cost of a standard NRA Show registration.

"The recent results of the NRA's 2015 Global Palates Survey demonstrate significant interest in Italian cuisine by the U.S. consumer," said Lisa Ingram, President & COO, White Castle System Inc. and 2016 NRA Convention Chair. "We are delighted to bring Bellavita to NRA Show, providing our attendees the opportunity to explore authentic Italian food and beverage products that they can incorporate into their menus to meet this demand."

Bellavita will be open during all NRA Show exhibit hours and access will be included with the cost of attendee badges, which are currently $45 through November 20.

"We evaluated several potential partner events in our quest to bring the taste of authentic Italian cuisine to America," said Aldo Mazzocco, CEO of Quiris Media. "We visited NRA Show 2015 last May and were incredibly excited by the energy of the Show and the quality of attendees it attracts. We believe this is the perfect venue to introduce Bellavita to the United States."

Restaurant, foodservice and hospitality professionals interested in visiting Bellavita should register for NRA Show. Suppliers interested in exhibiting in Bellavita must be manufacturers of food and/or beverage products based in Italy and should contact Quiris Media.

The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show® is the largest annual gathering of restaurant, foodservice, and lodging professionals in the world. NRA Show® 2016 will be held May 21-24 at McCormick Place in Chicago, and the 2016 BAR at NRA Show Event, held in conjunction with NRA Show, will take place May 22-23. 

Chefs Predict the Hot Trends for 2016

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) annually explores the top menu trends for the coming year. For this year’s What’s Hot culinary forecast, the NRA surveyed nearly 1,600 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) – to find which foods, beverages and culinary themes will be hot on restaurant menus in 2016.

Top 20 food trends for 2016:

1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Chef-driven fast-casual concepts
3. Locally grown produce
4. Hyper-local sourcing
5. Natural ingredients/minimally processed food
6. Environmental sustainability
7. Healthful kids’ meals
8. New cuts of meat
9. Sustainable seafood
10. House-made/artisan ice cream

11. Ethnic condiments/spices
12. Authentic ethnic cuisine
13. Farm/estate branded items
14. Artisan butchery
15. Ancient grains
16. Ethnic-inspired breakfast items
17. Fresh/house-made sausage
18. House-made/artisan pickles
19. Food waste reduction/management
20. Street food/food trucks

National Restaurant Association Increases Investment in Business of Beverage Alcohol

The National Restaurant Association has entered into a strategic partnership with Taffer Dynamics Inc., expanding the organization’s engagement with the beverage alcohol community within the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry.

Jon Taffer, who brings decades of success as a restaurateur to his role as executive producer and host of Spike TV’s highest-rated show, Bar Rescue, will lend his experience and subject matter expertise to the NRA’s two key beverage alcohol-related products: ServSafe Alcohol and BAR (Beverage Alcohol for Restaurants) at NRA Show.

ServSafe, which has long been the leading authority in food safety certification, has expanded its world-class training and certification pedigree into the safe alcohol serving space.

“Jon Taffer is an educator first and an entertainer second,” said Phil Kafarakis, Chief Innovation and Member Advancement Officer, National Restaurant Association. “Taffer’s passion for ongoing teaching within the adult beverage space, and his commitment specifically to responsible alcohol serving, make him the ideal partner for our ServSafe Alcohol product portfolio.”

BAR (Beverage Alcohol for Restaurants), the two-day beverage alcohol conference and exhibition co-located with the annual NRA Show, posted record registration in 2015, its eighth year. In his previous role as president of Questex’s Nightclub & Bar Media Group, Taffer has been intimately involved with the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show, bringing his expertise to development of robust educational programming for attendees.

“Jon Taffer has demonstrated experience in building both successful bar programs and successful conferences and exhibitions for restaurant operators in the adult beverage space,” said Mary Pat Heftman, Executive Vice President, Strategic Alliances, National Restaurant Association. “Taffer is considered a leading authority on critical bar business areas including staff recruitment and training, menu development, waste reduction and sales and trend tracking, which is precisely the kind of insight that will help us continue to build a world-class adult beverage event.”

Energetic and commanding television star, businessman, author, and orator, Taffer is the host and executive producer of Spike TV’s highest rated show “Bar Rescue,” a Wall Street Journal best-selling author of  "Raise The Bar," and former president of the Nightclub and Bar Media Group. Last year Taffer debuted BarHQ, an app he created for bar managers and owners providing a powerful suite of business and management tools. Taffer is a leading industry voice with over 30 years of hands-on experience in the restaurant, bar and nightclub business, having consulted for over 800 businesses in his career. He is one of only six inductees into the Nightclub Hall of Fame.

Unique Collection of Memorabilia Tells Story of America's Foodservice Industry

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) received an unprecedented collection of iconic restaurant memorabilia on April 29, during a celebration of "The Elliot Collection" at Gotham Hall in New York City. The collection is a legacy representation of the restaurant and foodservice industry, paying homage to the industry's pivotal role in helping to shape the culture, communities and economic vitality of our nation.

Gifted to the NRAEF by The Elliot Group, a retained executive search firm specializing in the hospitality industry, this unique collection includes highly nostalgic items from numerous national restaurant brands. Alice Elliot, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, along with her colleagues, spearheaded this initiative to showcase the positive and significant impact of the nation's vibrant restaurant and foodservice sector. Elliot began by asking companies to donate unique iconography and memorabilia that memorialized and highlighted the infancy of their companies. The goal was to memorialize and celebrate the story of how the restaurant and foodservice industry has grown in influence and stature, demonstrating the determination and tenacity of brands to become business icons through trial and innovation.

The NRAEF plans to promote and expand it in keeping with the foundation's mission to amplify the story of opportunity in the restaurant and foodservice sector. The unique memorabilia includes donations from over 200 companies and features original items from such popular restaurants as P.F. Chang's, Outback Steakhouse®, Starbucks, California Pizza Kitchen, The Habit Burger, Red Robin, Mellow Mushroom, Zoe's Kitchen, Friendly's, The Sardine Factory and Tony Roma's. Donated memorabilia included a 1968 Red Lobster menu, an original Ruby Tuesday's stained glass logo and an original Logan's Roadhouse jukebox.

"The genesis of the idea was years ago when we realized that companies representing today's iconic restaurant and foodservice sector all started with a passionate entrepreneur with a bold idea," said Elliot. "The Elliot Collection serves as affirmation of what the restaurant industry is all about. It's a place where you can start with a goal and a dream and build something formidable."

"We are honored and proud to continue our commitment and work beside and collaborate with the leadership of the NRAEF to ensure the future success of the Elliot Collection."

"Many of the restaurant brands represented in the collection started small, but through their leaders' entrepreneurial courage and determination, have grown to be national, if not global, companies. This collection is tangible evidence of the restaurant and foodservice sector's unparalleled influence in society, telling the story of opportunity, promise and achievement of the American dream," said Rob Gifford, Executive Vice President, Strategic Operations and Philanthropy, National Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.

"We are deeply humbled by the trust Alice and The Elliot Group are placing in the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in handing over the reins to this groundbreaking collection," said Gifford. "We believe this collection is truly emblematic of the inherent entrepreneurial spirit and enduring legacy of the hospitality sector and will serve to inspire future culinarians business leaders."

Restaurant Performance Index Posts Moderate Gain in April

Driven by stronger same-stores sales and customer traffic levels, the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) posted a moderate gain in April. The RPI – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 102.7 in April, up 0.5 percent from a level of 102.2 in March. In addition, April represented the 26th consecutive month in which the RPI stood above 100, which signifies expansion in the index of key industry indicators.

For the full outlook on the restaurant industry, view the Restaurant Performance Index here: http://www.restaurant.org/RPI.

"While individual indicators experienced some choppiness in recent months, the overall RPI stood above the 102 level for seven consecutive months," said Hudson Riehle, Senior Vice President of the Research and Knowledge Group for the Association. "This was driven by consistent majorities of restaurant operators reporting positive same-store sales as well as an optimistic outlook for sales growth in the months ahead."

The RPI is constructed so that the health of the restaurant industry is measured in relation to a steady-state level of 100. Index values above 100 indicate that key industry indicators are in a period of expansion, while index values below 100 represent a period of contraction for key industry indicators. The Index consists of two components – the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index.

Current Situation Index

The Current Situation Index, which measures current trends in four industry indicators (same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures), stood at 102.9 in April – up 1.0 percent from March and the highest level in four months. In addition, the Current Situation Index stood above 100 for the 14th consecutive month, which signifies expansion in the current situation indicators.

For the 14th consecutive month, a majority of restaurant operators reported higher same-store sales, with April's results representing a solid improvement over March.  Seventy-one percent of restaurant operators reported a same-store sales gain between April 2014 andApril 2015, up from 62 percent who reported higher sales in March. In comparison, only 13 percent of operators reported a same-store sales decline in April, down from 24 percent in March.    

Restaurant operators also reported stronger customer traffic results in April. Fifty-five percent of restaurant operators reported an increase in customer traffic between April 2014 and April 2015, up from 45 percent who reported higher traffic in March. Twenty-five percent of operators said their traffic declined in April, down from 34 percent in March.

With restaurant operators reporting positive same-store sales and customer traffic levels in recent months, capital spending also remained at elevated levels. Fifty-six percent of operators said they made a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling during the last three months, which marked the seventh consecutive month in which a majority of operators reported making an expenditure.

Expectations Index

The Expectations Index, which measures restaurant operators' six-month outlook for four industry indicators (same-store sales, employees, capital expenditures and business conditions), stood at 102.5 in April – essentially unchanged from a level of 102.6 in March. April represented the 30th consecutive month in which the Expectations Index stood above 100, which indicates a positive outlook for business conditions in the coming months. 

A majority of restaurant operators are optimistic that their sales will rise in the months ahead.  Fifty-two percent of restaurant operators expect to have higher sales in six months (compared to the same period in the previous year), down from 59 percent from last month. Meanwhile, only six percent of restaurant operators expect their sales volume in six months to be lower than it was during the same period in the previous year, up slightly from three percent last month.

Restaurant operators are somewhat less bullish about the direction of the overall economy.  Twenty-eight percent of restaurant operators said they expect economic conditions to improve in six months, down from 35 percent last month. Thirteen percent expect economic conditions to worsen in six months, while the remaining 59 percent expect economic conditions in six months to be about the same as they are now.  

For the 20th consecutive month, a majority of restaurant operators said they are planning for capital expenditures in the months ahead. Fifty-nine percent of restaurant operators plan to make a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling in the next six months, up from 53 percent who reported similarly last month.

The RPI is based on the responses to the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures. The full report and video summary are available online at Restaurant.org/RPI.

The RPI is released on the last business day of each month, and a more detailed data and analysis can be found on Restaurant TrendMapper, the association's subscription-based web site that provides detailed analysis of restaurant industry trends.