Sometimes, nothing hits the spot more than a simple piece of toast adorned with a butter, jelly or chocolate spread. Of course, if you’re in Europe and some other parts of the world, Marmite (yeast extract) or pate might be your spread of choice. But have you ever heard of ‘nduja (pronounced “en-DOO-ya”)?

 

‘Nduja is an Italian spreadable pork sausage – in short, it’s a delicious, spreadable salami. Specifically, ‘njuda hails from Calabria, a region in southwest Italy. Its flavor profile can be described as bold, spicy and sharp, great for adding a nice depth of flavor. Traditionally, ‘njuda is served with slices of bread and in cooking Calabrian cuisine.

 

How are creative chefs utilizing different techniques with ‘njuda? How about mixing with beef to create a sumptuous, tasty burger like the ones at Bread meats Brea burger bar in Glasgow? Create an amazing breakfast by scrambling it in your eggs, served on toast. Staying on the traditional Italian route, you can create a killer Bolognese by adding some ‘njuda to your sauce (and while you’re at it, to your pizza sauce, too).

 

Craving more inspiration? Check out this WSJ.com article that enhances dishes with just a dab of ‘nduja.

‘Nduja pizza photo credit: tofuprod license cc by-sa 2.0

Millennials are independent. They are going to go the direction that they deem suited for them – NOT the direction of others. Trying to pin any one of them down to a specific focus is literally impossible (ask any Millennial).

For the restaurant industry, the focus has to be on the food, the service and the VALUE for the money as opposed to the generation, to win this group over. They are traditionally smart, savvy and not connected to any one Brand, company or ideology. They are connected, for the most part, to themselves. Not to be considered a negative – they will write their own story and find what works for them based on completely different measurement criteria than we all judged ourselves on.

Are you a bar owner who is serious about creating a successful plan that you and your team can stick to?  Too often bar owners and managers simply move away from the goals and objectives set forth.  However, if your plan is well laid out with buy in from all levels of leadership and you remain steadfast, you will put yourself and your team on the path to success.

 

Here are 7 simple steps to developing a great bar and beverage business plan.

 

1. Capture Trends: It is obvious that the beverage and bar industry evolves quickly with trendy products, new innovation, and cyclical tactics. Part of a great plan will be the need to shift from trend to trend and use best in class category management initiatives that most large beverage companies can provide. Shifting a bit does not mean you sway from your original plan –it simply means that you’re nimble with a desire to stay ahead of or in tune with beverage trends. This gives you the necessary edge amongst your competitors.

 

2. Identify your Target: When planning, establish your sweet spot with respect to your target customer. Are you looking to build your business around Millennials and their demanding influence in hospitality? This is powerful demographic has the highest incidence of trying new adult beverages, especially in the casual dining segment. On the other hand, Boomers are a strong demographic since they still have a strong pocket book and love happy hour and visit bars on weekends. Determining your target customer may also play a key factor in how to select, train and develop team members.

 

3. Leadership: You will need to ensure that leadership places a high level of confidence on performance management. Put the right leader in the role to develop and follow-up on all activities related to your bar. Writing schedules and ordering liquor is not enough. Your bar manager position should be one attained through delivering upon and maintaining a level of excellence in sales building, margin improvement, staffing and manpower planning, and marketing your products. Trends in mixology show that new products come fast and furious. Your lead bar manager should remain attuned to the changes in the beverage industry.

 

4. Layout and Schematics: How does you bar look and feel? Are you creating the right vibe for new traffic and current customers? Is it sustainable? Your bar (and back bar set up) must look and remain fresh. Your back bar is part of your landscape and architecture, so take time to lay it out properly. Schematics or how the mechanics work with storage, work stations and working applications for team members are critical. This plays well into execution and how long it takes to deliver a drink feature or quickly cash out a guest. Throughput at your bar will play a key role in return traffic as your honored guest will always remember excellent efficiency.

 

Read the entire original article written by Synergy’s beverage expert, George Barton, here at Nightclub.com

With the “plant-based” movement picking up steam, restaurant operators looking to set their menus apart or create meatless (or nearly) signatures are wondering: What’s the next Brussels sprout? What are some techniques for tofu? And can anything topple the reign of quinoa?

Going with the Grain

If it seems like quinoa went from 0 to 60 in about four menu cycles flat, you’re right, but there are many other grains to explore for their hearty flavor, interesting texture and healthy nutritional profile.

• Teff – A tiny grain that has been a staple of traditional Ethiopian cooking for thousands of years, with a mild, nutty flavor and a delicate texture
• Exotic Rices – Including pecan rice, forbidden black rice, red rice and brown basmati rice
• Spelt – This dense, chewy wheat is a primitive relative of common wheat, and can be much easier to digest. Kamut and wheat berries are similar
• Freekeh – Not a separate grain variety, but a method of processing young wheat to produce a nutty, almost smoky-tasting result
• Amaranth – Once a staple of the Aztecs, the seeds can be cooked like a grain to yield a sweet, delicately nutty flavor and slightly sticky texture

 

Check Your Pulse(s)

It’s the Year of the Pulse, proclaims the United Nations’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), celebrating that versatility category of foods that includes beans, lentils, peas, peanuts and other legumes. While the FAO concerns itself with the usefulness of pulses for things emergency food supplies and crop rotation, there are sorts of tasty things to do with them.

• Heirloom beans such as Jacob’s Ladder and Anasazi
• Chickpeas, including fresh
• Edamame (the Japanese name for immature soybeans in the pod),
• Indian dishes like lentil dal
• Global rice-and-bean specialties (West Indian rice and pigeon peas, “Moors and Christians,” which are Spanish-style black beans and rice)

 

Serve Your Fruits and Veggies

It’s never been a better time to love fruits and vegetables, as produce moves to the center-of-the-plate in small plates, appetizers, entrees, shareable sides and refreshing desserts. Vegetables, particularly served in season and even micro-season, are versatile challenges to the kitchen’s creativity, and they’re even migrating to the dessert, while fruits are being used in savory ways to bring juiciness and bright acidity to the right side of the menu.

 

 

• Whole roasted or rotisseried cauliflower, served for the table
• New uses for citrus: grapefruit in salads, zest in vinaigrettes, roasted oranges
• Bitter greens beyond kale: collards, mustard, broccoli raab
• Elevated basics: heirloom carrots, charred onions, green garlic
• Fingerling and varietal potatoes
• Squashes such as red kuri, kabocha, spaghetti squash
• House-dried fruits, fruit leathers
• Pomegranates, acai and other “superfruits”
• Vegetable “charcuterie” (carrot confit, crudite, fennel salad)
• The return of the artichoke
• Fresh figs
• Varietal lettuces: Little Gem, butter lettuce, dandelions
• Cooking techniques like charring, braising, roasting, smoking and searing

 

Plants are the New Meats

Products like veggie burgers, tofu and soy bacon used to be weak imitations of the real thing, but now they’re coming into their own as delicious plant-based proteins in their own right.

• Tofu in more interesting guises: marinated, seared, stir-fried and smoked
• Seitan (wheat gluten) and tempeh (cultured soy)
• Portobello and other mushrooms
• Cauliflower and eggplant “steaks”
• Creative meatless burgers made with mixtures of grains, beans, nuts and lots of flavor
• Cooked, seasoned jackfruit, which can be used like pulled pork

Beverages can be a profit-minded operator’s best friend, attracting and keeping patrons and providing a high-margin source of revenues.

 

According to Synergy’s new beverage expert George Barton, who has spent 35 years in casual dining operations, “The beverage segment is all about how quickly styles change, and it’s easy to fall into a sea of sameness. If you don’t stay current with the trends, you’ll fall behind.

 

“This is especially true with the Millennial generation, who are quick to shift from brand to brand and trend to trend,” adds Barton. “These consumers know what they want and are very demanding when it comes to their purchase behavior away-from-home.”

 

Here, Barton shares some ideas and trend information for keeping pace with what today’s guests want from beverages.

 

1. Social media is key. A well-designed social media program that supports bar sales can attract new customers within 24-36 hours, says Barton. “If you’re not on social media, you’re missing out.
2. Mixologists are the new chefs. Today’s successful beverage programs are keyed to the voice of the bartender or mixologist, and reflecting his or her point of view. “This is Millennial serving Millennial, and a good mixologist will have the ability to generate new ideas and innovations,” explains Barton.
3. Flavor is just as important with beverages as it is for food. “From acai to wasabi, there are 250 or more flavors that can be incorporated into cocktails,” explains Barton. “Today there is unprecedented demand for sweet flavors that resonate well in drinks, driving sales of mojitos, margaritas, and the like.
4. Look to the late-night segment. This is a unique meal period that didn’t exist a generation ago, and it integrates food and beverages in entirely different ways, says Barton. At both Happy Hour and after-hours, the bar has become a meeting place that’s about social interaction, and meeting friends.
5. Don’t forget the food. Chefs and operators are including snacks and bar food in their beverage strategies, and pouring resources and talent into bar menus. “This is blurring the line between the bar with good food, and the restaurant with a great food.” From typical fare like pizza, sliders and wings to more chef-driven items like shrimp and grits, short ribs, and crab cakes, great food strengthens bar sales.
6. Consistently drive change. Beverage programs can’t be an afterthought, insists Barton. “You have to stay fresh and innovate, and either follow or drive change,” he says. “And remember that it’s relatively easy to implement change, but much more difficult to integrate into the culture. It’s all too common for a brand to come up with eight or 10 new items, test them out, purchase new equipment and train staff, but the initiative fails because it couldn’t be integrated into the existing system.
7. Look to growth categories for excitement and sales. Like fashion—and food for that matter—beverages follow the trends. Here are some that are especially important right now:

• Craft beer – With more than 3,500 craft brewers in the U.S., creating unique, customized beers in different styles with different flavor profiles, craft beer is stealing share from mass market domestic brews
• Wine on tap—Once an object of derision, wine on tap is taking on a new posture and better quality, and according to Barton it’s easy to serve, cost-effective and looks good at the bar
• Rum drinks—The popularity of sweet drinks has seen an explosion of interest in tiki drinks, punches, Caribbean- and tropical-themed cocktails and even shareable drinks like Scorpion Bowls
• Brown spirits—Whisky, bourbon, rye and even Cognac are on fire, says Boston, inspiring many dedicated whisky-bar and menu concepts devoted to the spirits, as well as cocktails ranging from traditional Old Fashioneds to on-trend bourbon smashes
• Non-alcoholic specialties—Items like smoothies, slushies, flings and energy drinks can be even more profitable than alcoholic beverages, to say nothing of specialty coffee and tea and related treats like flat whites or chai
• Sangria—This refreshing beverage is well-suited to shareable pitcher service, and offers the flavor or wine with the sweet kick of fruit and fruit juice or a spirited addition like Cointreau. Sangria is light and festive, the perfect “patio drink,” as Barton describes it, and the profitability is hard to match

 

Contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants if you would like information about improving your beverage program.

 

By now, most chefs are hip to umami – you know, the magical sixth flavor commonly referred to as that savory taste we all crave. You can get that depth of flavor in your dishes with umami-rich ingredients like parmesan cheese, tomatoes, soy sauce, mushrooms and beef (you get the idea). In Japanese cuisine, furikake, is a popular condiment generally made of a mix of dried bonito fish, seaweed, sesame flakes, sugar and salt, mainly enjoyed atop of white rice.

Furikake delivers a great umami flavor and most certainly does not have to only be served with rice. You’ll find you can sprinkle this delightful seasoning on so many dishes. Not sure how to use furikake? Here are some ideas to get you started. Try adding furikake to:

• French fries and onion rings
• Inside guacamole
• Salmon and other fish dishes
• Popcorn
• Breadsticks
• Tempura shrimp or chicken
• Omelets
• Soft or fried tofu
• Barbequed meat
• Calamari

A little salty, a little sweet, a lot of yummy! We love this ingredient!

Furikake popcorn photo credit: T.Tseng licence CC by 2.0

 

Also known as verjuice, verjus is a must-have ingredient in any chef’s arsenal. Literally translated from French as “green juice,” this unfermented acidic juice is made from pressing unripe grapes or apples and is used in cuisines throughout Europe (the height of its popularity during medieval times) and the Middle East.  Lucky for you, it’s a versatile ingredient to use in a wide array of dishes.

 

Verjus is a great substitute for when a recipe calls for vinegar, wine or even lemon so you can achieve a familiar, yet unique and gentler flavor profile. Looking for a bit of a sweet and tart kick? Try adding verjus to a salad dressing, sauce, soups or broth for some brightness. And yes, you can make lovely drinks with verjus like spritzers, cocktails and sodas. Instead of deglazing with wine or beer, try doing so with verjus.

 

Check out this FoodandWine.com clams recipe for some culinary inspiration: Steamed Clams in Verjus. For ideas on how to use verjus in a salad, see this recipe: Watercress Salad with Verjuice Vinaigrette.

Unripe grape photos credit: Alexander van Loon license CC by SA 2.0

We found an interesting infographic from Bristol Associates which surveyed restaurant execs in order to find out which segment had the most satisfied managers and executives and also what attracts top talent to each restaurant segment.

 

To read more, please visit The Bristol Breakroom.

Menus are like sharks—they need to keep moving or die. And among all of the moving parts that make up a restaurant, one of the most important is the need to constantly evolve and keep menus fresh and on-trend to drive frequency.

 

This is especially true of older, well-established brands. Concepts like IHOP, TGI Friday’s and Burger King are beloved features of the dining-out landscape, with iconic signature dishes they could never take off the menu (Pancakes! Potato skins! The Whopper!). All menus need to be updated and kept current, but for legacy brands in particular it is imperative that brand continuity be balanced with new signature items that attract new customers and bring back regulars to try something else.

 

Look at IHOP’s new Bakery Favorites, an LTO (limited time offering) that features such over-the-top fancies as Red Velvet crepes and pancakes, sprinkle-topped Cupcake Pancakes, and decadent Cinnamon Swirl Brioche French Toast. These new specialties are smart-smart-smart: Pancakes and French toast are familiar products to IHOP’s core customer base—we’re not talking about something unknown or unintimidating here, after all—but they’re also on trend and just a little daring, with that sophisticated touch of using brioche for the toast.

 

TGI Friday’s latest initiative is lunch, with a new menu sporting such specialties as a Truffle Stacked Burger, Mediterranean Mahi Mahi Naan’Wich, and a slew of nonalcoholic signature drinks (Cherry Limeade Slush, anyone?), which are high-profit rather than high-proof. An “On The Double” express-lunch pairing allows customers to choose from mozzarella sticks, house salad, Caesar salad or soup, along with selected lunch-sized entrées, priced at $6.99 to $8.99. Quite different for a chain that launched as a Happy Hour oriented casual pub.

 

And what about Burger King, which has recently been promoting hot dogs, chicken nuggets and now new Chicken Fries Rings? “Take a Break from Boredom” says the company, and these items are certainly pushing the envelope without causing Burger King to turn its back on the burger that brought it to the party. The Grilled Dogs became permanent within a year. And now it would seem that BK is also in the chicken business. The Chicken Fries platform has been successful in every iteration (Buffalo, jalapeno, Fiery) since it was first introduced, in 2005, and the core product has also become part of the permanent menu. The new Rings may sound crazy (whatever happened to the consumer’s growing appetite for real, unprocessed foods?), but there’s no denying that they’re perfect for kids and fun for adults as well, especially the ones behind the wheel.

 

Dunkin’ Donuts is another legacy brand that is not afraid of reinventing itself through the menu. The company’s recent test of Chicken and Waffles is only the latest salvo in the donut chain’s battle to stay relevant against other QSRs that are crowding in on breakfast, like McDonald’s and Taco Bell. For years Dunkin’ has also been pushing hard into the lunch and snack sectors, with sandwiches like Texas Toast Grilled Cheese and Snack ‘N Go wraps, also rejuvenating Coolattas and smoothies.

 

And then there’s Cheesecake Factory, going on 40 years in business with a menu that’s still constantly evolving—Skinnylicious, Super Foods, trendy new items like Avocado Toast, Blood Orange Mojitos, and a pizza topped with bacon, dates and blue cheese.

 

There are important lessons to be learned from all of these brands, whether yours is also a legacy or is brand new to the marketplace. Menus are living, breathing, evolving entities—because so are guests and their tastes.

 

Burger King Grilled Dogs photo credit: theimpulsivebuy license CC by SA 2.0

There’s been a lot of news lately about chefs with “live-fire” restaurants—concepts that are fueled by wood-fired grills, ovens, rotisseries and more. There’s Rick Bayless in Chicago with his new Lena Brava, which will celebrate the regional cuisine of Baja and the obsession with craft beer (it’s part of Cruz Blanca Cerveceria) and mezcal culture. There’s Speedy Romeo in Brooklyn and the Lower East Side of Manhattan, featuring wood-oven pizza and wood-grilled specialties like burgers, ribs, wings and chicken parm. Jonathan Waxman’s iconic roasted chicken gets it start in a woodburning oven before resting, and is finished to order on the grill.

 

There’s no doubt that “playing with fire” can produce spectacular results, while creating an atmosphere of authenticity and culinary artisanship, especially when the wood oven and grill are part of an exhibition kitchen.

 

But Tim Green, our resident pizza guru and an expert in artisan cooking platforms, argues that it isn’t necessary to use solid fuel (which includes wood, hardwood charcoal and, to a lesser extent, coal) to get delicious results. And for some operations, it’s probably ill-advised.

 

“Solid fuel requires tremendous commitment—of money, space, labor and management,” says Green, who previously served as corporate chef for Wood Stone Corporation and has been involved in literally hundreds of artisan cooking installations and pizza concept launches. And while foods cooked over wood on equipment such as a grill or rotisserie will pick up flavor from the smoke, enclosed ovens are a different matter. “Most customers would be unable to tell the difference in flavor and texture between a pizza cooked in a wood oven versus one cooked in a gas-fired stone-hearth oven. So there needs to be a very good reason to use a wood oven for cooking instead of gas or propane.”

 

A good stone-hearth oven can do anything a wood-fired oven can, with a lot less muss and fuss, continues Green. “Stone hearth ovens are known for the wonderful pizza they produce. Beyond that, they of course bake amazing rustic breads, as well as being great for cooking whole animals and large cuts of meats, whole chickens and turkeys, overnight braising, and roasting vegetables. You can even roast bones and produce delicious stocks out of one. Basically you can build an entire menu out of a stone hearth oven.”

 

For such a simple technology, wood ovens and other solid-fuel equipment can actually be very complex operationally, not to mention costly. The oven itself must be substantial: Solid fuel generates tremendous wear-and-tear on systems that will have to withstand temperatures in excess of 1200 degrees every day. A wood oven also needs to provide longevity. “This will hopefully be the last oven that you will ever purchase for your restaurant,” says Green. “The challenge of installing them due to their size can make it very costly to replace.”

 

It’s not just the oven, either. “Many regions of North America no longer even allow for solid fuel equipment,” points out Green. “Other jurisdictions may ask you to use complex and costly ventilation systems to eliminate odors and smoke going into the air.” Operators will normally be committed to a Type 1 Hood System with Ansul fire suppression, as well as Type 1 Grease Duct Vent Pipe, which can cost about $200 per foot to install.  Depending upon your municipality the cost of ventilation could range between $20,000- $50,000, in addition to the oven itself, which can run $25,000 to $50,000 or more, before the façade.

 

In addition, a standard ventilation system should be cleaned at least every other month, if not every month—most fires that occur in restaurant with solid fuel equipment start in the ventilation system that has not been cleaned.

 

Then there is the issue of the wood. “It must be a heavy hardwood,” says Green. “This includes species of nut, orchard fruits like apple, oak, maple, almond, and mesquite, never conifers and never lumber.” The wood must be well-seasoned, with an interior moisture content between 10-18%; if the moisture content is higher, the wood will not create a good open flame or produce coals properly.

 

Wood should be sized specifically to the needs of the oven, normally 14-16 inches long, and 2-5 inches in diameter. Charcoal is commonly available in mesquite and also in other carbonized hardwoods such as oak and maple. Manufactured briquettes should not be used, as they are made from the sawdust of scrap wood (including resinous soft woods and composite woods) combined with chemical binders and filler. “They’re slower to light, and often require lighter fluid, which you definitely do not want anywhere near your food,” as Green says.

 

Burnt fuel means ashes, which must be handled with extreme caution. “When removing ashes it is extremely important to have a sturdy fireproof vessel in which to hold them,” says Green, because in a busy restaurant it’s not always possible to wait until all the ashes are totally dead. “So we have to take extra care to avoid burning ourselves”—gloves, training, and vigilance are mandatory. “And make sure everyone knows how to use a fire extinguisher.”

 

And don’t forget to think about the storage of wood before deciding on a solid-fuel grill or oven. Green suggests that storage facilities be ample for a two-week supply, preferably outdoors, and designed to keep wood dry but not fully enclosed.

 

With all the challenges and expenses associated with solid fuel cooking, cooking with wood delivers amazing taste with depth and character.  At the end of the day, if you want to out maneuver the competition, you need to have great tasting and distinctive food.  Wood-fired cooking offers captivating aromas, delicious food and the visual pleasure of seeing food cooked with a true artisan technique.  When deciding which oven is best for their restaurant, operators must carefully weigh the benefits of solid-fuel cooking with the challenges and operational complexity that come along with it.