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

 

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

 

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

 

Watch more about Meatless Monday here

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

 

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

Greetings!

Smart operators know they have to look beyond traditional streetside locations for opportunities. This includes not only the relatively well-established playing fields of such venues as airports, college and hospital “cafeterias,” and malls, but also public venues. That’s one reason why we have partnered with the market leader in bowling and other entertainment centers to offer a pair of turnkey foodservice startup packages, which you can read about in this newsletter-and expect to see more news about in the future.

We’re also taking a look at a couple of exciting QSR concepts that specialize in well-loved menu items like donuts and chicken wings in surprising and game-changing ways. And be sure you read our associate Margee Drews’s advice about working with an interior designer if you plan a new build or brand refresh.

To your success,

Dean and Danny

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Dinner and a Movie… or a Few Frames

For savvy investors, sales opportunities through foodservice abound. That’s why Synergy Restaurant Consultants has partnered with QubicaAMF, the market leader in the bowling and entertainment industry, to offer foodservice start-up packages to QubicaAMF clients.

As part of the agreement, Synergy has developed a package of turnkey start-up services intended for two specific types of bar and restaurant operations: fast casual and casual dining, which are the most relevant for entertainment centers today.

Hotels and resorts, malls, and other retail developments have long understood the value of offering upgraded foodservice options—as both a consumer amenity and a source of traffic, sales and profits—often partnering with chains or locally prominent independent operators.

Now other types of venues are getting into the arena, including such entertainment options as bowling alleys, movie theaters, and so-called lifestyle centers, which are mixed-use commercial destinations that combine the traditional retail functions of a mall with leisure facilities oriented toward upscale consumers.

• Alamo Drafthouse is a small chain of hip movie houses that include chef-driven dining venues in each of its four markets. In Austin, for instance, the company’s flagship Ritz features executive chef Elijah Horton’s menu of movie-seat-friendly appetizers, pizzas (Wild Mushroom with Manchego, Asiago, Parmesan and Romano cheeses), sandwiches and burgers (the de rigueur Green Chile Cheeseburger), and milkshakes (strawberry-balsamic, anyone?), as well as wine, beer and craft cocktails.

Speaking of craft cocktails, the company has recently hired Austin cocktailian Bill Norris as its new beverage director, to develop beverage programs and oversee The Highball in-theater bars and the new tequila-focused satellite bar 400 Rabbits at Alamo Slaughter. In addition, Drafthouse has opened a new reservations-only craft cocktail bar called Midnight Cowboy on trendy East 6th Street in Austin.

Now Alamo is expanding to New York City, and most recently, founder Tim League has announced plans to revamp San Francisco’s historic New Mission Theater.

• In Portland, Maine, one of the hottest tables in town is at Bayside Bowl, where the upgraded menu features the likes of pulled pork sandwiches, burritos, and grilled steak salad, plus a full bar. Grilled pizzas and the signature mac-and-cheese share a pantryful of a la carte topping options, ranging from bacon and olives to broccoli and barbecue sauce—a smart way to cross-utilize ingredients. Bowling parties and catering are sources of additional revenue. The foodservice options have helped to attract leagues as well as walk-in bowlers at a time when the sport is growing in appeal to families and singles.

During the recession, many consumers were drawn to activities like movies and bowling because they represented good value for an evening’s entertainment. Now, with the economy on the upswing, investor interest in this sector is also increasing. Synergy’s relationship with QubicaAMF will help both parties take advantage of the opportunities.

“Restaurants are our core business,” says Danny Bendas, Managing Partner at Synergy Restaurant Consultants. “We have helped so many independent operators and restaurant chains over the last 25 years to reach a position of competitive advantage that we are now really excited to support bowling and entertainment investors with their food and beverage strategies

“We understand the importance of combining food with bowling and entertainment to provide guests with a unique experience, and are excited about this alliance and long term partnership with QubicaAMF.”

For more information on how to add foodservice to your facility, contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants.

 

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One Dish Wonders

By Joan Lang

You’ve heard of meatball shops and mac-and-cheese merchants, but now the market seems poised to welcome a new generation of fast-casual single-item specialty concepts, from upscale doughnuts (which are beginning to look like the new cupcakes) to chicken wings and tater tots.

 

In many ways this is nothing new, of course—as anyone who was around in the era of TCBY (the frozen yogurt chain that debuted in 1981), Cinnabon (1985), and Auntie Annie’s pretzel bakeries (1988) already knows.

 

For that matter, the entire fast food industry is founded upon the notion of limited-menu options along the order of hamburgers, fries and a shake.

 

But this newest generation of pared-down-menu merchandisers sits squarely in the arena of the booming casual segment, offering such amenities as enhanced ambience, alcoholic beverages, and sometimes even table service. The place where all the action is anyway, in other words.

 

You can tell the whole story simply by focusing on one market: New York City, where the demographics, streetscape and economy are vibrant enough to support lots and lots of options. New York, in fact, has always been an enormous metropolis made up of little, five- or 10-block-square neighborhoods, each with the population to support multiple dry cleaners, grocery stores, pharmacies and a Starbucks or three. If you can make it here you can’t necessarily make it anywhere, but there are some pretty amazing concepts coming out of the Big Apple right now.

 

Pok Pok Wing. Andy Ricker has come to town, hoping to do for New York what he did for Portland, Oregon: Make Vietnamese/Thai food hip, trendy and contemporary. Pok Pok Wing takes a signature product from a full-service concept—Ricker’s addictive fish sauce-marinated chicken wings—and turns it into the linchpin for a wildly popular fast casual letter of introduction.

 

That Tot Spot. I’ve been tracking the trend of upscale housemade tater tots for a couple of years now, so it comes as no real surprise to see the opening a spot that specializes in them. Like Belgian frites, shop dispensing “Tater Tots, Sauces, Goodness” sounds like a good idea for a high-traffic pedestrian attraction like Brooklyn’s Artists & Fleas Market, where shoppers are inclined to grab a snack of fragrant fried potatoes with mix-and-match spices and sauces.

 

Bark Hot Dogs. No dirty-water dogs here, only artisanal tubesteaks custom-made to the chef-owners’ specifications by an upstate butcher, then fried in lard and served with a compendium of house condiments, plus local draft beers. People travel to Brooklyn to dine at Bark Hot Dogs, and they don’t mind waiting in line for them.

 

Doughnut Plant. Chestnut Cake, Crème Brulee and Lavender Glazed? Honey, you’re not at Dunkin’ Donuts anymore. At the Doughnut Plant, Mark Isreal’s high-end, $2.75 confections are made with seasonal fresh fruits and lots of loving care, in cake, yeast, and jam- and cream-filled formats… because life’s too short to have to decide.

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The Role of Interior Design in Restaurant Success

By Margee Drews, Senior Design Associate

 

The ideation of a restaurant requires a team effort, whether it’s a new build or a refresh. Getting the interior designer involved early in the process is essential.

New Restaurants

The role of the interior designer begins with the inception of the restaurant concept.  The designer must understand and participate in the development of a creative idea into a sound brand design.  Development of a conceptual idea into a complete plan requires a clear understanding of the menu, brand differentiation, spatial objectives, and efficient maximum utilization of the space to achieve the highest sales per square foot with complete code compliance.

The designer’s artistic application begins at inception and continues to take shape as the floor plan and elevations are completed.  The objective is to provide the best design to articulate the brand identity, with costs always in mind.  The ability of the designer to collaborate with owners, operators, architects, kitchen designers, and builders and to provide design leadership is critical.  A great designer visualizes the brand intent and brings it to fruition.

The laborious work comes with the selection of the many materials best suited for long life as well as seamless integration into the final product.  The designer must understand the critical use of lighting (both natural and manufactured) and the impact it will have on ambience.  The design ambience must fulfill the brand identity in a manner that provides sensual excitement from the moment of first seeing the exterior of the site to entering the building.  A potential guest must immediately feel drawn into the design and be at a high level of excited comfort.

In general, the restaurant should be freshened within no more than five years.

Existing Restaurants

Existing restaurants are often more challenging, especially if a complete brand renewal is required.  The scope of work will depend on the budget allowed, and it frequently requires leaps of the imagination to obtain the best results.

Updating an existing theme usually requires attention to visual cues with less emphasis on layout.  Paint, upholstery, lighting, carpet, tabletop, and artwork can task a budget to freshen an existing successful brand.  The designer will often need to incorporate as much of the existing detail as possible to fall within financial goals.  A full renewal requires that the designer incorporate both exterior and interior surfaces into the design and may also require landscape and signage replacement.  One objective is often to avoid changes that will require new code adherence.

Rebranding an existing restaurant typically is even more involved.  Whether it is a change of concept or updating an old concept to renew guest enthusiasm and visitation, the changes must be significant.  Older existing buildings may also require changes to meet new code requirements.  This may involve major changes to the existing layout to accommodate disability access and so on.  Successful rebranding should start with the same disciplines as required with any new brand.

Design at its best requires artistic visualization skills along with sound architectural knowledge, broad knowledge of surfaces and surface treatments and their technical properties, appropriate geographic elements, and current code requirements.  Today it is also important to understand the environmental properties of all aspects involved in the design, from paint emissions, energy usage, and water usage as examples.   Finally, a great designer will possess excellent communications skills and a highly organized mind.

Interested in finding out more about how Synergy can help you in the design process? Give Synergy Restaurant Consultants a call.

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Tip of the Month

Those Who Can’t Do… Outsource

Linen, public relations, fresh bread – there are lots of things most restaurants cannot do themselves. As operations become more complex, here are other areas where you may want to consider seeking outside help:

* Human Resources
* Social Media
* Menu R&D
* Music

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Are you on Facebook?

“Like” Synergy on Facebook to read latest restaurant news, view photos of the hottest new restaurant concepts and join in on the conversation!

Dean Small, founding partner of the Synergy Restaurant Consultants, will share his Top Ten “Trends with Benefits” in a lively keynote address to the Northwest Foodservice Show on Sunday, April 29, 2012.

Small, founding partner of Synergy Restaurant Consultants, has been in hundreds of kitchens and dozens of boardrooms working with over 200 nationally-known companies. Says Small, “I’ve traveled over 12 million air miles and I eat at over 400 restaurants a year, so I’ve had a chance to see the latest trends up close and see how great brands capitalize on the latest trends in a way that truly benefits their businesses.”

Small has observed multi-faceted influences shaping today’s trends. Food and restaurant-related TV shows have made everybody more food-savvy. The emerging influence of Generation Y, the Millennials, is driving new dining concepts built around a fusion of cuisines, service styles and themes. The pace of life has made convenience “King,” and the Green Movement is changing how people think about food. From sustainability and local sourcing to food trucks, temporary “pop-up” restaurants and kiosks to the rise of breakfast and the fourth meal, to smaller portions for smaller prices, demand for artisan and culinary influences and a fusion of cuisines, restaurateurs are challenged to figure out not only what’s “right now” but more importantly, what’s “right for them.”

Small’s food-focused, operations-obsessed approach will inspire forward thinking brands with his passion and knowhow in translating trends into brand strategies that connect with their customers. Dean’s practical speech is a must see addition to the Northwest Food Show program.

Synergy Restaurant Consultants is a team of restaurant management professionals, in business for over 25 years, that bring innovative ideas to the table to create sustainable brands and drive bottom line performance. The cornerstone of the Synergy team is innovation and efficiencies for the foodservice industry, and Synergy, with offices in California, Texas, Ohio, Florida, Washington D.C., Louisiana, Pennsylvania and New York, is known for innovation strategies ranging from concept development, food and beverage strategies, menu, restaurant design, marketing, training and hospitality initiatives.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Dean Small, Phone : (888) 861-9212 or E-mail: dean(at)synergyconsultants(dot)com

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

Take advantage of the summer months to build your beverage sales, employee moral, and reputation as an innovative beverage leader.  How you may ask…

• Engaging No Alcohol opportunities…
• Spirit Alcohol drinks that deliver an extra ordinary experience
• Exciting and engaging wine program
• Unique beer tasting and pairings

All this is offered by servers and bartenders buying into a unique “Summer Drink Contest” designed to offer your guests the very best you have to offer all the while providing increased incremental sales, fantastic profit margins, and rewarding your best employees and managers!

Sound interesting? Let Synergy Restaurant Consultants make your Summer Beverage Profits happen!