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Chipotle Goes Non-GMO

May 05, 2015

These days, there are a lot of buzzwords when it comes to foods: From gluten free and paleo diets to organic and sustainable. But one word is of contentious debate and has all eyes looking : “GMO.” An acronym for “genetically modified organism,” or rather “living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE. “ as defined by Non-GMO Project.

Walking down the grocery store aisle, shoppers find more and more products labeled  “Non GMO” as consumers are becoming increasingly choosey about the origins of their foods. And it hasn’t stopped at your favorite supermarket—Restaurants are becoming aware, too. Leading the way again in the large-scale sustainable food movement, Chipotle has recently announced they’ll only be cooking with GMO-free ingredients (the first national restaurant company to do so).

Should your restaurant follow suit?  That depends on a variety of factors. What does your company stand for? What are your core values? Does non-GMO align with your beliefs? Will your restaurant be able to withstand the costs associated with non-GMO cooking? If you’re looking for expert consultation, contact Synergy.

We look forward to see how the restaurant industry continues to change to meet the needs of its guests.

Chipotle photo credit: Mike Mozart CC by 2.0

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Attract Crowds at your Restaurant This Mother’s Day

Apr 29, 2015

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Translation? Millions of Americans will dine out to treat mom.

 

As a restaurant operator, you want to make sure your restaurant stands out from the crowd. Wondering how? Here are some quick ideas you can implement to gain that exposure on one of the busiest restaurant day of the year.

 

Freebies: Make a great deal! Consider free bubbly for moms or a buy-one-get-one promotion to draw in guests.

Entertainment: Music makes for great ambiance: Book a special guest to your restaurant during brunch hours.

Ambiance & decor: Place fresh cut flowers on each table.

Special Menu: Create a special menu specifically for Mother’s Day or consider creating a brunch buffet station.

Social Media: Don’t forget to spread the word! Use social media to inform potential guests of your Mother’s Day specials.

 

Good luck and we hope your is buzzing this Mother’s Day!

 

 

 

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April 2015 Newsletter

Apr 21, 2015

Greetings!

It wasn’t so long ago that a number of operators banned “foodstagramming” in their restaurants (of course, some still encourage guests to turn off their cell phones when they’re dining).

Now, of course, most have either embraced Instagram or given in to the fact that certain people will take pictures of their food no matter what. But there’s no denying that the food porn trend goes beyond simple photography—in fact, it could be argued that Instagram and all the other social media are accelerating what is already the crazy-fast adoption of new food trends. And there’s also the ever-present danger of chefs and customers alike focusing (get it?) so much on picture-taking that they forget about how it tastes, or even tasting their food at all. Read the article on restaurateuring in the age of Instagram for additional perspective.

It could also be argued that the whole Bone Broth thing is also a function of social media and its tendency to make this a business of food fetishists. If you want to get on board, our culinary development associate Justin Braly shares a recipe for simple chicken (bone) broth.

And speaking of trends, there’s one that simply shows no sign of being over: better burgers, always and ever. We’ve got 15 different ways to tap it.
To your success,


In the Age of Instagram

By Joan Lang, Editorial Director

 

If it seems like one minute a restaurant has a certain thing on the menu and two weeks later everyone else has the exact same thing, you’re not imagining it. And it’s not just the foodie press and bloggers and the Food Network. It’s Instagram.

A picture is worth 1,000 words, and food pictures on Instagram say it all: what’s in a dish, what the diner thinks of it, and exactly what it looks like. And that makes this business more competitive than ever.

Or call it the age of food fetishes, and the Cronut was just the start. Thanks to social media—in particular the picture power of Instagram—food trends are now spreading, fully formed, with lightning speed. They’re being hatched, and then they’re being replaced almost as quickly.

Another cheese and meat board—really? More roasted Brussels sprouts with fish sauce replaced by more kale Caesar salads supplanted by more seared cauliflower steaks and now it’s Avocado Toast? Yes, indeed.

There are lots of other implications, besides menus becoming increasingly similar.

As far as Instagram goes, restaurateurs need to decide whether they’re “fer it or agin it” (a policymaking conundrum that not surprisingly tends to split along Millennial lines). As of now, more operators appear to be agin it, or at least not on board, as a recent Smart Brief poll showed the great majority of respondents either not using Instagram or not knowing how to leverage it.

A nice-looking plate is now called “Instagram-worthy” by both guests and reviewers. Can you say “focus on presentation”?

Instagrammers have become the new bloggers, reaping fame and contracts from their posts. And we all know how influential the blogosphere became to the restaurant industry.

Everyone wants to know how to take better Instagram photos, now that they have that fancy iPhone. (We may need to consider changing the lighting to facilitate picture-taking—or anticipate more early-bird specials or growth in the breakfast daypart, just because natural daylight is almost always better.)

Last but certainly not least, savvy marketers are turning to the medium to get their message across.

• Applebee’s has, among other things, turned its Instagram account over to its fans for a year in order to gather user-generated content aimed at helping the aging brand establish its standing as the go-to hangout spot

• Chefs and independents who use Instagram often end up on Must Follow lists that invite more followers (and potential customers) by the hundreds

• Taco Bell uses Instagram very effectively to promote new menu-item launches and LTOs

• Frank Prisinzano, the outspoken chef-owner behind a number of popular New York restaurants, has used his account to critique his own restaurants—getting lots of attention in the process

• Domino’s old sign/new sign “scavenger hunt” has helped draw attention to the chain’s rebranding efforts

• Zoe Nathan Loeb is using her proximity to beautiful food to promote both her restaurants and her new cookbook

Using Instagram needn’t be a big involved campaign. Even something as simple as posting photos of the days specials or inviting fans to post selfies taken in your restaurant can reap beautiful rewards.


The Bone Broth Boom

By Justin Braly, Culinary Development

Whether you call it stock, consommé, brodo or broth, there is no mistaking that the bone broth craze is upon us. Bone broth is heralded for its beneficial nutrients such as collagen (good for hair and nails), glucosamine (great for joint health) and glycine (which is great for removing toxins), but what exactly is it this delicious yet simple elixir?

Bone broth, in theory, is as simple as it gets. Broth by definition is soup consisting of meat or vegetable chunks, and often rice, cooked in stock, and bone broth is even simpler. Bones, with little bits of meat still attached, are cooked with any assortment of vegetables and aromatics for upwards of 24 hours—much longer than most recipes call for—in simmering water until the bones release their collagen and nutrients. This mixture is skimmed of fat regularly as it cooks and strained through a fine mesh sieve when it’s finished… voila! You have bone broth, which has become a cornerstone of the Paleo diet.

The amount of blog posts and websites dedicated to bone broth is astonishing, and small towns even seem to boast at least one person at the farmers market peddling this magical elixir, noting that their broth will change your health for the better. But in major cities, the craze is even bigger. In New York, chef Marco Canora may have started the craze with Brodo: A walk-up window that sells piping hot cups of broth (in three different sizes) to hungry customers in the morning, daring them to “rethink their hot beverage.” In San Francisco, there are at least six places selling “liquid gold.” Will bone broth rival Starbucks one day? Probably not, but maybe instead of a morning juice or afternoon cuppa, people will gravitate towards broth for their nutrients and vitamins.

Like all trends, bone broth has many different iterations. Restaurateurs, chefs and bartenders are taking advantage of the bone broth trend, because if it’s hip consumers will buy it, even in a cocktail format. At Los Angeles’ Pistola you can get “From the Kitchen With Love,” a $22 bone broth cocktail consisting of six ounces of lamb consommé plus two ounces of Glenlivet 15. Consider it a play on French Onion Soup.

While I don’t see the broth cocktail scene taking off, bone broth for kitchen use will stick around, so why not make your own? This recipe for Chicken Bone Broth is a great place to start.

Chicken Bone Broth:

5 lb. chicken bones
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 gal. cold water (enough to cover the ingredients)
2 medium yellow onions, roots cut off and halved
4-5 carrots, washed and cut in half
6-8 celery stalks, washed and cut into thirds
6-8 cloves of garlic
1 bundle thyme (fresh)
3 bay leaves (fresh)
1 tsp. salt

1. Place chicken bones in a large stock pot. Add apple cider vinegar and water to cover the bones.
2. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to keep a low simmer for 24 hours. Stir once or twice in the first few hours, and then a few times for the duration of your simmer, adding additional water as needed.
3. After 24 hours add the vegetables, garlic, salt, thyme and bay leaves to the pot. Increase heat to bring back up to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
4. Cook for 8 hours longer, stirring every hour or so. Let simmer with lid off for the last 2 hours.
5. Strain all ingredients by pouring bone broth from one pot to another through a colander or strainer.


15 Shades of Burger

By Joan Lang, Editorial Director

 

Quick: What’s one of the most successful and enduringly popular menu items in all the restaurant universe, from mainstream fast food chains to destination dining? What can guests never seem to get enough of? What inspires cult followings and seemingly endless creativity? And what has nearly every revered chef in this country tried a hand at?

Although its exact origins are shrouded in late 19th century obscurity, the hamburger has emerged as one of the iconic pleasures of American dining, and a bulwark of the restaurant menu. From circa-1921 White Castle “belly bombers” to db Bistro Moderne, with its game-changing Original db Burger (a $35 sirloin burger filled with braised short ribs, foie gras and black truffle Parmesan bun, first introduced in 2001), there’s almost nothing that can’t be done to and with a burger.

No wonder sales of burgers keep growing—in 2014, according to NPD, the number of hamburgers sold increased 3%, in part because rising beef prices incented more restaurants to add them and more customers to order them.

Stuffed

Packing a tasty bite of something in the middle of an otherwise traditional patty adds not only flavor and juiciness, but it’s also a surprise for the guest and an operational advantage for the house because it keeps messy, melty ingredients like cheese or foie gras off the griddle. And you can stuff a burger with everything from blue cheese or Brie, to caramelized onions, chutney, salsa, olives, chili, sausage or even a fried egg.

Old-School

Although there’s a great deal of debate about what constitutes a “classic” hamburger—that’s the whole point of this article, after all—after several years of burger one-upsmanship there seems to be a move back to a style of burger that’s traditional, but elevated. That means juicy, well-seasoned meat, traditional condiments and toppings like tomato and mayonnaise, old-school American cheese, and a fresh, slightly squishy bun that soaks up all the juices. No elk meat, no kimchi, no lavash flatbread: just best-in-class technique and ingredients.

Mini

Ah, the slider. These fun little mini-burgers made it possible to put the popular overstuffed sandwich on a small plates menu, and spawned dozens of different variations from pulled pork to fried chicken. The Slider House, in Nashville, has one of everything, and guests can mix and match two or three choices with a side for $8.99 or $11.99 respectively. Sliders have also become increasingly popular as bar snacks, as in the two different formulations of Cheeseburger Sliders tucked among the wings and quesadillas on the Snacktime menu at TGI Friday’s.

Blended

Short rib and sirloin. Brisket and filet. Seeking the perfect ratio of fat to lean, flavor to tenderness, burgermeisters are writing special specs for burgers—half of them, it seems, from butcher-to-the-stars Pat LaFrieda. That and sobriquets like “never frozen,” “handcrafted” and “ground in house” are the earmarks of the quality meat trend that’s sweeping the better burger movement. The famous cheeseburger at Husk takes much of its savor from Benton’s bacon ground in with the chuck and flank

Smashed

Differing schools of thought abound on how to cook a burger, and along with grilled vs. griddled and thick vs. thin, there’s the ongoing controversy of minimal compressing on the grill vs. smashing that puppy down with the spatula til the juices sizzle. We’re talking Smashburger, among others, which promises burgers that are “Smashed Fresh. Served Delicious.” Proponents claim the technique of smashing a meatball-thick patty down on the griddle creates plenty of surface and thin edges that pick up a tasty, crisp char. Shake Shack also smashes its burgers, on a Miraclean griddle, which not only builds flavor but allows the meat to cook more quickly.

Other Meats

Though the great majority of hamburgers are probably made with ground beef, there are all kinds of other meats that can be used to make a signature burger, including turkey, pork and lamb, as well as bison, buffalo and more unusual meats. The Breslin Bar & Dining Room, in New York City, has quickly become famous for its chargrilled lamb burger, which picks up additional Greek accents from the addition of feta cheese and cumin mayonnaise. A menu favorite at Tavern in Los Angeles is the Pork Pork Pork Burger, made with ground pork, bacon and chorizo finished with Manchego cheese and romesco sauce on a brioche bun. And Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks, based in Southern California, invites guests to substitute a turkey patty for any of its burgers.

Fish

Here’s a category that tells you how far the “burger” definition has traveled, with patties made from crab meat, ground tuna or salmon, and shrimp. Fishburgers are great for operations because they can be made with non-premium product, including trim, the thin ends of a salmon filet, or broken shrimp, allowing guests to enjoy a luxury ingredient at an affordable price point. Burgers made with seafood have a low-fat, high-protein nutritional profile that appeals to health-conscious diners who still want the indulgence of a “burger.” The neutral flavor and soft texture of fish also take well to ingredients that wouldn’t work with beef—like the Asian Ahi Tuna Burger served rare with Asian slaw and wasabi dressing at Lazy Dog, which has 16 locations in ahi-crazy Southern California.

Ethnic

The hamburger may not actually exist in Korea, but the kimchi burger has certainly caught on here. Fusion mashup
BopNGrill, in Chicago, has other signature burgers that call to mind other ethnic specialties, including the Pizza Burger (topped with mozzarella sticks, marinara, American, Parmesan, and caramelized onions), Bavarian (pretzel bun, sharp cheddar, caramelized onions, bacon, Dusseldorf mustard) and Hawaiian-esque Loco (fried egg, short-rib gravy, caramelized onions, bacon, sharp cheddar).

Top-of-the-Line

The Original db Burger notwithstanding, restaurateurs and chefs have been trying to outdo each other with the most expensive or most luxurious burgers for years, using ingredients like Wagyu beef, truffles (even Smashburger has a truffled menu entry), lobster, wild mushrooms and even a bottle of Chateau Petrus (served on the side). Not surprisingly, many of these burgers can be had in Las Vegas, but a clutch of upscale restaurants in San Francisco are serving more-ish versions of sliders, like the escargot patties topped with foie gras on the menu at Bisou Bistronomy.

Over the Top

Size and variety also make an impression with burger fans. Chomp Kitchen and Drinks in Warren, RI, has amassed a cult following for its over-the-top Stack Burger 3.0, a towering assemblage consisting of a beef patty with American cheese, spicy fried chicken with smoked gouda, smoked BBQ beef, bacon, ranch dressing, and onion jam with lettuce and tomato. And three-location Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar features an extensive menu that includes 19 different burgers plus additions and substitutions ranging from six different breads to sake-marinated sauerkraut.

Regional

There are regional sandwiches, and regional sodas, so no surprise that burgers come in regional styles, too. In Northeastern Mississippi, for instance, the ground beef is mixed with flour and soy meal and fried, to create something called a Slugburger, while the Deep South is home the Pimento Cheeseburger, a tasty conglomeration that has recently gone trendy outside of its native habitat, as at the new ABV in the Mission District of San Francisco.

Vegetarian

There are veggie burgers and there are veggie burgers, and lately restaurants are catering to guests who avoid meat but crave burgers with versions made from soy, nuts, grains, ground vegetables, and other tasty concoctions. Oshi Burger Bar, part of the Jeff Johnson Restaurant Group in Memphis calls its organic veggie burger the Conscientious Objector, topping it with tomato, crushed avocado, red onion, Swiss, lettuce and burger sauce. Michael Mina makes a Fava Bean Falafel Burger with Gamble Creek Farms organic cucumber yogurt, tomato confit and tahini at Locale Market in St. Petersburg, FL. Even White Castle has a Veggie Slider.

Grass-Fed

Socially conscious sourcing is big in the burger segment, with antibiotic-free and grass-free meat a centerpiece of many business plans. For higher-end independents, many with chain aspirations, grass-fed and local beef is the way to go. Crave Real Burgers, with three locations in Colorado, works with local ranchers for its beef. Breakaway Café, in Sonoma, CA, sources its organic pastured beef from SunFed Ranch. The Burger Lounge chain has been selling grass-fed burgers, local produce and a green lifestyle since 2007. But now even Carl’s Jr. has jumped on the bandwagon with an all-natural, grass-fed offering.

DIY

The Counter was arguably at the forefront of the customizable menu item trend—burger or otherwise—back in 2003 and it’s still going strong, with locations all over nine states plus Ireland, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. With a mix-and-match selection of patty meats and sizes, breads, cheese, toppings and sauces, the concept touts a possible 312,120+ different burger combinations, “unique to each customer,” plus dozens of already-designed options. Of course, it’s easy for just about any restaurant to offer a DIY options: just look at Friendly’s.

Patty Melt

Thanks to the unending popularity of classic American comfort food, it stands to reason that the patty melt would also get the better burger treatment—and the trending success of both grilled cheese sandwiches and artisanal toast hasn’t hurt. Hardee’s Bacon Velveeta Patty Meltdown is in-your-face retro, but the new Snappy Pattys, in Medford, MA, delivers “upscale contemporary American food” including a sixsome of signature patty melt sliders made with grass-fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef with scratch-made sauces on house-baked olive oil brioche.


Tip of the Month

Want more advice and ideas for using Instagram? Check out these articles from the National Restaurant Association, F&B Kibbutz, and Pizza magazine.

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Restaurants Pass Healthcare Costs to Guests

Apr 18, 2015

Last week while on a Discovery Tour in Los Angeles with a lovely, well-known client we are not yet able to disclose, we spotted a restaurant human resources practice that’s been popping up across the country and Los Angeles in recent years: Service surcharges, up to 4.5%, that allow the restaurant to provide its employees with healthcare coverage.

 

A number of restaurants in San Francisco have been tacking on a dollar per guest long before Obamacare, but guests are divided in how they feel about the charge. At Huckleberry, our cashier told us that patrons regularly acknowledge the extra charge, some more vocal or miffed than others. But while a few have asked for the additional request to be removed, people are generally in support of the initiative.

 

While non-fans of the added cost are put in a precarious position, not wanting to seem cheap or heartless, much of the pushback and hesitation to contribute may be in the in-your-face reminder of the additional payment. Huckleberry prominently displays its extra charge at the register, while countless other concepts leave the added fee in the menu’s small print and as a line item when the check arrives.

 

While it’s possible (though tough) to work this cost into menu items, making the advocacy statement is a major component of restaurants who take this approach. Love it or hate it, healthcare surcharges are likely here to stay.

 

 

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Why Negative Feedback Can Be Music to a Restaurant’s Ears

Apr 06, 2015

Last week, I attended Social Media Examiner’s Social Media Marketing World  conference in San Diego. You’ll see new insights sprinkled across blog posts and the like in the coming weeks, but let’s talk about the final keynote speech: “Hug Your Haters”, as presented by Jay Behr.

Jay’s chat applied to any B2C industry, but hits home for restaurants, who for better or worse are continually bombarded with both praise and complaints across social media and the various review sites. We at Synergy suggest that restaurants respond to every complaint with a cool head and the best intentions, but instead of feeling the sting of negative feedback, restaurants and chefs need to see the silver lining: Each and every complaint is an opportunity to turn a brand hater into a brand advocate.

TNS, while the number is slightly lower for onstage haters, though these should still be addressed promptly.

But more dangerous than the public haters are the guests that leave an establishment feeling “meh” about their experience, not returning and even worse, telling friends and family that the trip to XYZ Bistro isn’t worth it. The restaurant is left with no way to win back the miffed diner’s patronage nor can the restaurant learn from the feedback, making changes to their operation to better meet the needs of future guests.

Bottom line? Hug your haters, and do what it takes to keep offstage haters offstage and appease onstage haters to the best of your ability. But above all, acknowledge the opportunity that lay before you: to turn haters into advocates. Here’s how.

Photo credit: TopTenSocialMedia.com

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March 2015 Newsletter

Mar 30, 2015

 

Greetings!

Working in restaurants has often been seen as a stepping-stone first job, but let no one take away the fact that the restaurant and bar industry leads employment growth and new job creation in this country. And the industry may take heat for minimum wage status and large number of part-timers, but it has also started the careers of many of its most successful chefs and entrepreneurs.

In fact, according to the National Restaurant Association, nine out of every 10 managers started at entry level, and eight in every ten owners worked their way up from the lowest rungs. And that makes this industry a tremendous source of opportunity.

Fedele Bauccio, the CEO of Bon Appetit Management Co., started out as a dishwasher. Clarence Otis Jr., former chief of Darden, waited tables. Top toque Grant Achatz, of Chicago’s Alinea, flipped eggs in his parents’ diner. There’s nothing you can’t do with the social skills, work ethic, and love of food that come along with restaurant work.


Consumer-Facing Technology: A Powerful Competitive Tool

By Jeffrey Manno, Operations & Finance

In the heyday of full-service dining—before the existence of the internet, smartphones and omnipresent phone apps—technology was merely an option for restaurants to use to improve their service. But in the modern era of 2015 and beyond, a comprehensive understanding of restaurant technology is a prerequisite for entering the highly competitive arena of restaurant operations. With a variety of consumer benefits, technology is not only something that consumers want, but it is something they have come to expect and even demand, regardless of their age. That means that operators must be aware of the various technologies available for restaurants, and they must also understand how they benefit the guest, so they can successfully incorporate them into their service model.

 

In late 2014, USA Today cited a National Restaurant Association study indicating “more than one-third of all consumers are more likely to use technology-related options in restaurants now than they did just two years ago.” Going one step further, “Almost one-third of consumers with smartphones say they would use a smartphone app to pay their check instead of using cash, a debit card or credit card,” according to the national survey of 1,007 consumers.

 

Oftentimes, the ill-informed restaurateur may think, “Yeah, but technology is just for kids and college students. My customers don’t use technology to interact with the restaurant.” To which I say, “Are you ready to bet the house?” While it is well-known that younger consumers are likely to accept, and even sometimes request, technology options as part of their dining experience, they are no longer the only diners who want them.

 

The truth of the matter is that consumer-facing technologies are no longer just for Millennials: The National Restaurant Association also reported that “more than half (56%) of consumers age 45-64 have recently used technology options in restaurants.” Specifically, says the NRA, four out of 10 have ordered food or looked up menus on a computer in the past month; about one-third have looked up restaurant locations on a smartphone; and more than one in 10 has ordered takeout/delivery, looked up nutrition information, or made a reservation via  smartphone or tablet apps.

 

In addition, the association reports, among Baby Boomers (which make up nearly 20% of the U.S. population), “about six out of 10 say they would order online using a computer or look up directions to a restaurant on a smartphone; and about four out of 10 say they would place an order…using smartphone or tablet apps.”

 

This is great news for the restaurant industry, because an increased use of technology may help lower overhead costs and increase sales, by allowing restaurants to more effectively market and cater to their clientele. A growing number of restaurants, from popular regional brands such as Stacked in San Diego and L.A., to nationwide chains like Chili’s, have installed tableside tablets. With these tablets, customers are in control of ordering, paying bills, and even playing games (for a fee, of course).

 

The result? Bloomberg Business recently reported that “tablets give the dining experience a novel and modern flair…and they reliably increase the size of the average check.” In fact, it was reported that tablets help boost appetizer sales by as much as 20%, and dessert sales by as much as 30%. Going further, tips are up approximately 15% more than average, which leads to happier staff. Most importantly, guests really like it since they can often leave the restaurant an average of five minutes faster, paying their bill tableside as soon as they’re ready. This may not seem like a lot of time, but for guests on a short lunch break, or in a rush to attend an event, this can make a significant difference.

 

So what does this all mean? If current behavior is any indication of future trends, then it’s apparent that restaurant clientele of all ages, from Millennials to Baby Boomers, have come to thoroughly enjoy technology as a valuable part of their dining experience. Successful restaurateurs will leverage loyalty programs, websites and smart phone apps to better appeal to and attract their desired clientele. Then, once guests are onsite, restaurants will leverage technology to complement the service staff and enhance the guest experience, by allowing guests the freedom to order food and drinks, pay for tabs, and even play games whenever their hearts desire. Finally, guests are not the only ones who benefit. Waitstaff enjoy increased tips and also have more time for interacting directly with guests, rather than racing to drop off checks and take orders.

 

Bottom line, the restaurant wins with increased average checks, happier staff, and happier guests.


Diners for the Next Generation

By Joan Lang, Editorial Director

The diner is a beloved American icon—so it stands to reason that this humble “concept” would be getting an upgrade.
We’ve seen “upscale” diners before, but this time it’s different, as a new generation of chefs transform old streamliners into contemporary destinations, and sophisticated restaurateurs put a fresh spin on the egalitarian neighborhood classic. That means elevated versions of favorites like patty melts and milkshakes; cheffy signatures based on thoughtful local/artisanal sourcing; and amenities like craft cocktails and distinctive microbrews merged with the casual atmosphere and all-day schedules the diner is already known for.

Many operators are drawn to the idea of diners because of their approachable formula of reasonably priced comfort foods that everyone loves, and because they harken back to the simpler times that everyone seems to crave right now.

According to Datassential, the trend can be clocked to post-recession consumer desire for a value-oriented casual dining experience, and chefs’ interest in providing it with a level of quality and creativity that would help mainstream their brands. The trend brought some heavy hitters into the field, including Gordon Ramsey with the now-defunct Fat Cow in Los Angeles, and Stephanie Izard with the groundbreaking Little Goat in Chicago. But now it’s really picking up steam, taking the best of the diner/coffee-shop/luncheonette tradition and kicking it up a couple of notches. Daily specials and all-day breakfast never had it so good.

Bradley’s Fine Diner, in Houston and now Menlo Park, CA, is the brainchild of award-winning chef Bradley Ogden, who honed his craft in fine-dining bastions like The American Restaurant (one of the nation’s first “new American restaurants,” in Kansas City), San Francisco’s Campton Place, and the influential Lark Creek group of farm-to-table restaurants. Working with his son Bryan as executive chef, “BFD” brings fresh, simple, seasonal food to the man on the street: Oak Grilled Chuck Burger with caramelized onions; Iceberg Wedge salad with Sweet 100 tomatoes and housemade blue cheese dressing; daily Blue Plate Specials; signature cocktails and happy hour bar bites like the Sloppy Joe Biscuit Slider and Spring Garlic Dip with flatbread. Many of the specialties were honed over years of successive and deliberate downscaling, at such approachable concepts as Lark Creek Grill and Yankee Pier, finding ways to make quality and freshness affordable and accessible enough for everyday enjoyment

• The entry of Chicago’s much-lauded Paul Kahan (Blackbird, Avec, The Publican, and Nico Osteria) with Dove’s Luncheonette is big news for the new-wave diner landscape; after all, he’s already conquered the chef-driven fine dining, wine bar, gastropub and contemporary Italian segments. An homage to the ‘60s lunch counters of Kahan’s early food memories, with its all-day menu and local blues soundtrack, Dove’s captures the spirit of an earlier time. Specialties like brisket tacos and pork pozole riff on the West Side’s neighborhood Mexican roots, extending a tradition that’s been successfully mined with Kahan’s Big Star taqueria next door

• Also in Chicago is Eleven Lincoln Park, which hails itself as an “Old School Diner, Delicatessen.” Owner Brad Rubin opened the more straightforward Eleven City Diner in the South Loop in 2008, but when the location for the late, lamented Belden Deli in Lincoln Park became available, he did the logical thing and created a mashup. It’s not so farfetched: both the diner and the deli are friendly, low-key places with a penchant for counter seating, overstuffed sandwiches, and breakfast served all day. Like Ed Debevic’s back in the 1980s, the two restaurants border on parody, but it’s out of love and respect for the tradition of the neighborhood family restaurant

• When Food Network chef Amanda Freitag reopened the legendary Empire Diner in New York City as a “locavore diner” in 2014, she faced down decades of devotion from neighbors, club kids, celebrities and others who made the old chrome and stainless steel dining car their late-night hangout. Though she and her partners have had to scale back on plans to keep the place open 24/7, the menu succeeds in bringing a chef’s twist to urban diner standards with specialties like Bruléed Grapefruit Toast, Charred Octopus “Greek Salad,” Buffalo Skate Wings, a lamb burger with whipped goat cheese and chili jam, and such over-the-top desserts as Brooklyn Blackout Cake and cheesecake with fig compote

Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar, in Somerville, MA, touts “honest food and drink” in the form of regional American comfort food. Restoring and repurposing an Historic Register (1941) family-owned Greek diner car, co-owners Joe Cassinelli and John Delpha turned the Davis Square landmark into a hip urban barbecue joint showcasing a Smoke n’ Fire cooking platform. Menu specialties range from St. Louis ribs and a griddled cheese burger to BBQ “It’s Not a Ramen” Pork Noodle Soup and an Asian BBQ Hog Head sandwich with gochujang BBQ, kimchi, and ginger-scallion relish. The restaurant is also famous for its Grandma-type pies and ambitious cocktail and craft beer programs. There’s live music and a robust schedule of events, many involving tap takeovers and other artisanally spirited themes

• When Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell, alumni of Manhattan restaurants like Jean-Georges and Gramercy Tavern, moved to Biddeford, ME, and bought the 15-stool Palace Diner they did little to mar the historic setting (a classic circa-1927 Pollard dining car that’s the oldest in the state). But they did recast the menu with seasonal specialties, local ingredients, and a menu of refined interpretations of classic breakfast, brunch and lunch foods (like the fictional restaurant in Richard Russo’s novel Empire Falls, which also takes place in a small Maine river town, the Palace is only open for dinner on the weekends). That means traditional fare like corned beef hash, made with brined local grass-fed beef, homemade banana bread griddled in brown butter, and house-cured pickles, plus a small selection of wine by the glass

• Ron Eyester, the talent at the stove behind The Family Dog, Rosebud and Timone’s in Atlanta (and is the Angry Chef from Season 12 of Top Chef, in Boston) is in the process of opening Diner in the city’s Atlantic Station. This tribute to a “classic greasy spoon” will also feature farm-to-table sourcing and a selection of classic Southern cocktails like the Sazerac, Mint Julep and Brandy Crusta. There’ll be a salmon club but the fish will be house-cured, and a selection of “yard bird” specialties included croquettes and traditional smothered chicken


Wine’s New Paradigm

By Joan Lang, Editorial Director

wine

There’s a lot of talk about how Millennials have driven change in the restaurant industry, and not surprisingly, wine is one of those areas of change.

According to London-based International Wine & Spirit Research (IWSR), the U.S. is the largest market in the world for wine, in both total volume and measured by per-capita consumption, and is likely to remain that way for the foreseeable future.

But while Gen Y is commonly associated with the boom in craft beer, and Americans in general are more likely to drink beer than wine, there’s also plenty of data that indicates Millennials being big wine drinkers as well—in fact, they are the fastest-growing group of wine drinkers. They’re just doing it a little differently than their parents and, especially, their grandparents.

Some of the consumption trends seem self-evident, given what we already know about this generation:

• Millennials prefer less expensive wines, especially those under $15 retail, but generally in the under $40-a-bottle sweet spot

• They don’t necessarily want to drink wine in a restaurant, preferring more casual settings including bars and parties

• Millennials are having a love affair with Italian wine, particularly Prosecco and other sparklers

• They view wine as a sophisticated beverage, but they want none of the pretension previously associated with it

• They are also very open to experimentation and trying new kinds of wine

On the other hand, this could all be bunkum—and no operator ever wants to turn a blind eye on any customer, no matter their demographic.

There’s definitely a lot that’s new about today’s wine scene. The world wine market is significantly different than it was even a few decades ago, with more countries producing wine—in part we have global climate change to “thank”—and more affordable choices available. Boxed wines and wine on tap are better than ever, and their sales are growing as old prejudices fall.

The taste for huge, high-alcohol wines and oak bombs such as old-style California chardonnays is diminishing in favor of more refreshing, food-friendly wines. New technologies are making it easier to serve wine-by-the-glass and preserve the rest of the bottle. New wine blends, particularly reds, are becoming more widely available and are both delicious and affordable.

Service is important, but more approachable. Though fewer restaurants may have actual sommeliers, server training is getting more serious, so that servers can answer questions, suggest pairings, and provide guidance.

Finally, there’s a strong sense that wine should be fun, and wine lists should be both intriguing and unintimidating, and there are plenty of new restaurants that support that notion.

The Lawrence, in Atlanta, makes wine exploration and pairing easy with an extensive selection of affordable wines available by the bottle, half-bottle, glass and carafe

• The French Hen, in Tulsa, keeps wine-loving patrons engaged with a robust schedule of wine dinners

• A new generation of wine bars is creating a place for enthusiasts to sample wines as well as elevated versions of snacks (think oysters, charcuterie, artisanal cheese) as well as more ambitious wine-friendly food

• Having already changed the quick-service landscape with food and ambience, fast-casual restaurants are also focusing on more sophisticated companion wine programs (as well as beer and in some cases even spirits)

• Louie’s Wine Dive, with locations in seven Midwestern cities, puts its money where its mouth is, priding itself on being a group of “restaurants with amazing wine lists”—including a policy of opening any bottle for a customer who buys two glasses

Now, that’s fun.


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Five Easy Ways to Go Green in Your Restaurant Design

Mar 21, 2015

In addition to supporting a comfortable, aesthetically pleasing environment, restaurant design should speak to both your brand’s message and values. Does your organization value local sourcing, sustainability, or being “green”? It might not always be practical to perform an entire restaurant redesign overhaul, but there are a number of easier-to-implement tips to refresh your approach to sustainability.

 

1. Incorporate a reclaimed wood communal dining table. Not only will you create a warm, rustic environment for your guests to dine solo or socialize, you’ll be sending a nod towards the environment.

2. Implement an herb wall. If your restaurant values freshness and healthy eating, featuring an herb wall or individual hanging herb fixtures is an easy way to speak to freshness and add a pop of color.
If your floors are up for resurfacing or replacement, consider bamboo instead of traditional hard wood flooring, as bamboo is an eco-friendly, renewable material that is LEED certified.

3. If it makes sense for you brand, consider cloth napkins and tablecloths. You can choose from a wide variety of patterns and colors to match your brand and also reduce paper waste.

4. Upcycle and repurpose existing products to create fun and stylish light fixtures. There are so many ways and materials you can use to make beautiful lights, from wine bottles to silverware.

 

Restaurant design doesn’t have to mean a complete decor overhaul . If you are in need of professional assistance, contact Synergy.

 

 

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More than Green Beer: How Bars and Restaurants Can Ride the St. Patrick’s Day Wave

Mar 10, 2015

 

With St. Patrick’s Day and the affiliated weekend right around the corner, bars, restaurants and their patrons might ponder up images of green beer and Irish Car Bombs.

 

The bad news? Green beer will likely stain your bar top (and eventually the bartender’s hands). Irish Car Bombs’ dual shot and pint glass requirements can back up your dishwashing.

 

The good news? Restaurants and bars don’t have to go overly cheesy to participate in a bit of fun and relevance, though different approaches will work for different concepts. Here’s some (Irish) food for thought, thanks to Synergy’s own Brad “Paco” Miller:

 

•  Use Guinness to upgrade caramelized onions or Bailey’s to snazz up a chocolate frosting.

• Leave green mints when presenting guests with their check. “Higher end concepts might give each lady a simple green flower,” Miller notes.

•  Incorporate corned beef anything. “I like the idea of miniature corned beef sliders,”  though Miller reminds concepts that this might not work everywhere.

•  Don’t forget great service: “Especially for busy bars, people almost expect slow, miserable service this weekend. Staff your bar appropriately and leave people pleasantly surprised.”

 

Turn up the Celtic tunes, and as always, for help with virtually any facet of foodservice operations, contact Synergy.

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The Importance of Offering Substitutions

Mar 04, 2015

Concepts are aggressively embracing the idea of offering guests menu substitutes, with Starbucks being no exception. In fact, the coffee megabrand began offering coconut milk beginning mid-February, a decision that was made based on customer voting through MyStarbucksIdea.com, in addition to their long-offered soy milk. 

 

This move by Starbucks illustrates  the importance of offering menu substitutions for guests. Why should you consider offering substitutions at your restaurant? According to Food Allergy Research Education, it’s estimated that approximately 15 million people in the U.S. have some kind of food allergy, with the most common including allergies to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, seafood and shellfish.  In addition to food allergies, many people have dietary preferences, from vegan to vegetarian to flexitarian, with statistics showing that veganism is on the rise. It is becoming less of a bonus for guests to find their diets accommodated, and rather more of a necessity.

 

Wondering what kind of substitutes can you offer? Here are a few to get you started:

  • Dairy free alternatives: soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk
  • Healthier side alternatives: fresh fruit, grilled or sauteed vegetables
  • Offer a fish alternative to a burger or meat-heavy sandwich
  • Go gluten-free. Learn how here.

 

Need professional menu re-engineering to meet the demands of your customers? Contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants.

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February 2015 Newsletter

Feb 27, 2015

 

Greetings!

This month the weather in many parts of the country, including the Midwest and the Northeast, has been tough on restaurant sales. Chicago and Boston, in particular, have had record-breaking “snow events,” with school closings and mass-transit headaches adding to the usual travail of winter weather.

Don’t let that put a damper on the fact that the National Restaurant Association is forecasting the strongest rate of growth in three years for 2015—good news indeed for the beleaguered restaurant industry and its up-and-down economic recovery. If anything, the bad-weather blip illustrates the essential challenge of a service industry like hospitality.

More than ever, survival and success depends on taking business away from the other guys on the block, at a time when the competition itself is increasing to include not only direct competitors but also vibrant new sectors like chef-driven fast-casual restaurants and restaurant-quality retail foodservice. (And you can be sure we’ll be writing about both of these in future newsletters.)

So it’s important to get it right the first time, not just the food quality, service and décor, but also the overall experience you’re delivering to guests. You can read about in the story “What Do Consumers Want? Everything.”

To your success,


What Do Customers Want? Everything.

By The Synergy Team

A lot of ink has been given lately to consumer psychographics and what customers want when they spend their money. For the restaurant industry, it all comes back to the growing notion that American society has shifted toward an Experience Economy—and that in order to be successful, businesses must orchestrate memorable events for their customers, and that memory itself becomes the product. Food, service and ambience aren’t enough anymore; in fact, they’ve become a given, without which a restaurateur doesn’t have a prayer of keeping the doors open.

As author Joseph Pine points out in a recent TED talk about “What Customers Want,” goods and services have already been commoditized, and the next step is customizing services to a particular individual or group of individuals, in order to create an experience. And that means extreme sensitivity to who your customers are and what they might want at any given time.

Back in the June Synergy newsletter, our marketing and branding expert Karen Brennan wrote about “Winning in the Experience Economy,” with some great examples of restaurant brands that had succeeded in creating experiences for customers, not just a place to grab a meal. Not surprisingly, the list included places like Starbucks and Chipotle, with their robust component of customer engagement, concept evolution, and proven customer loyalty.

According to the NPD Group, the coming year will underscore just how crucial it is to understand changing customer dynamics. The Millennial generation is emerging as a dominant force in the restaurant industry, with all that implies for high-energy environments, and food and service concepts that encourage sharing and socializing. At the same time, don’t count the long-ascendant Baby Boomers out, with their desire for comfort, personal attention and a warm welcome.

Sandelman Associates, in fact, in a recent Tracks newsletter, reminds us that “Millennials are less than half the story” when it comes to traffic at both QSR and fast casual venues; “matures” aged 35-64, with their own set of demands, are also frequent visitors.

And in the meantime, the counterbalancing drivers of futuristic high-tech (such as mobile marketing and online ordering systems) and high-touch authenticity—including the demand for ethnic foods, local sourcing and sustainable business practices—will only accelerate. And both age groups—younger diners and matures—are demanding technology and ideology from their favorite restaurants.

As part of its January 2015 issue of “FoodBytes,” Datassential singled out “Big Changes” as the top trend to watch this year. It’s telling that while many annual lists of trend projections focus on the next big sauce or the latest wave of comfort foods, Datassential earmarked disruption of the norm, in particular the kind of progressive segment blurring that is forcing older, established players to react more forcefully to precocious new concepts.

Even the way that consumers are using restaurants is evolving, as the mix between dine-in and takeout, and breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks changes, according to Technomic’s MarketBriefing. A deeper dive into need-states revealed how different needs and emotions correlate with specific dayparts. For instance, convenience is associated with weekday breakfast and weeknight dinner, while the weekend is time for relaxing, celebrating, and getting together with family and friends.

With so many options for convenience dining, just to cite one need-state—from the ability to order restaurant food on a smartphone to the availability of restaurant-quality food at a supermarket—consumers have multiple ways to meet their every need. And this, of course, blurs the segments all the more.

All of this has implications for the way operators design, develop, staff, promote and run their businesses. The marketplace is changing, and so are consumers. Operators will have to ride along.


Groupon and Living Social: A Death Sentence for Restaurants?

By Emily Callaghan, Communications & Marketing

 

We’ve all seen them: $20 vouchers that will score the buyer $50 to spend. Or a bargain-priced $35 for a four-course meal costing nonsubscribers double that amount. While the guest might get a bargain, are the Groupons and LivingSocials of the world a death sentence for restaurants?

Let’s consider which restaurants participate in such promotions. Since restaurants receive a poor return on every deal after paying service fees—typically earning around 25% on every dollar—a busy, successful establishment isn’t likely to offer these deals. Those that do choose to ride the deal train are dearly hoping one or both of two things: a) a final bill higher than the voucher’s redemption value (due perhaps to liquor sales or other add-ons), or other party members paying full price; and/or b) repeat business. But if there aren’t enough butts in seats—a typical reason to use a deal site to drive guest traffic—it may continue to stay that way. Here’s why:

1. There are Bigger Issues

“Unless the restaurant is in a poor location or is new and hasn’t been able to get the word out, an empty restaurant equals problems,” notes Dean Small, founder of Synergy Restaurant Consultants. “Some critical component, be it the food, service, atmosphere, pricing—or all four—is not quite right.” By driving guests to the restaurant without solving an internal issue, the guest experience will likely suffer, and those diners will doubtfully return and potentially voice their negative meal on sites like Yelp or TripAdvisor.

What’s more, with many deal sites’ group-buying approach, requiring a minimum number of purchases for the deal to be “on,” restaurants must anticipate an unnatural increase in volume: a slew of guests that their kitchen and waitstaff may not be prepared to accommodate.

2. It Cheapens the Brand

Just as many retailers and successful brands vow to never discount their product, fearing it will alter consumer perception, restaurants must be wary of the psychological effect. Though discounting negatively impacts some brands and industries more than others, the value attached to a meal experience can drastically decrease when a guest pays 50% of the asking price—or less. Suddenly, that $70 tasting menu only feels worth what the guest paid: $35

3. Full price is for Fools

“Think of brands like Bed, Bath & Beyond,” says Warren Ellish, Synergy strategic partner and founder of Ellish Marketing Group. “They’re constantly sending out coupons, so if you’re the unlucky shopper that shows up without one, you feel like a fool.” If the restaurant is discounted on a regular basis, people may not be willing to pay full price, fearing that they’re being overcharged.

In the end, each restaurant operation is unique, with deal sites like Groupon and LivingSocial making more sense for some than others. The bottom line? A shortage of diners is likely due to issues that operators are too entrenched in to notice; issues that a discount promotion won’t solve.

If you need to get getting more guests in your doors, Synergy Restaurant Consultants can help.


Bowling for Dollars

By Joan Lang, Editorial Director

 

Bowls as a menu platform have been coming and going for a while now, as QSRs in particular experimented with all-in-one vehicles for portable meals. This time around, however, the idea of building an entire meal—protein, produce, carbohydrates and flavor systems—into something other than a sandwich is really taking hold.

Bowls are a great solution to multiple menuing and operational challenges. In addition to being portable, they’re customizable—just look at what the industry has done with salad bars and toss-to-order salad concepts like Salata and Tossed. They’re infinitely versatile, adaptable to anything from Asian noodle dishes to DIY fro-yo sundaes… and then the guest can do it again with different ingredients tomorrow. Not coincidentally, the bowl strategy also allows for the appearance of infinite variety with a finite list of SKUs. Just look at the number of different kinds of options Freshii is able to menu with its ingredients.

From the guest’s perspective, bowls have the healthy halo of being appropriate for ingredients like fresh vegetables and whole grains, and they’re fun and tasty, allowing for a little bit of every flavor, texture and even temperature in every bite.

And now, with the ascendancy of new fast-casual concepts deigned to allow guests to custom-tailor their own meal experience, bowls are suddenly everywhere.

Backyard Bowls promises “Better Life Through Better Food” in the distinctive form of acai bowls, build-your-own meal platforms based on the trendy Brazilian berry (pronounced ah-sah-EE) which is widely reputed to be an anti-aging superfood. Bowls start with a smoothie-like acai puree, variously topped with granola, yogurt, fresh fruit or vegetables, and honey, to which guests can add a la carte enhancements such as bee pollen, flax seeds and spirulina. There are also breakfast bowls based on oatmeal, quinoa and muesli, as well as “real food” smoothies. With three units in the Santa Barbara area and born of the surfer culture there, the concept is tailor-made for today’s generation of diners who may eschew dairy, meat and gluten—standard ingredients include nut milks and protein-rich hemp, but no animal products save for organic yogurt and honey/pollen (for which agave can be substituted).

• Made-to-order sushi and a trio of bowl platforms are the customizable elements of Tokyo Joe’s, with 30 locations in Arizona and Colorado. Guests can choose such Soup Noodle and Signature bowls as Classic Ramen and Green Curry Shrimp, or they can order an entirely bespoke bowl from four categories of ingredients: protein, veggies, carb (or double veggies), and sauce; the latter includes such options as teriyaki, peanut and oyako (light broth). Appetizers, salads, and the distinctive Joe’s Tea Bar round out the ordering options.

• Bowl of Heaven, which recently inked a 30-unit development deal, also does the acai, smoothie, and juice bar approach, offering dessert-like combinations of ingredients like fruit, granola, honey, peanut butter and chocolate almond milk. Beneath it all is the signature MAQ 7 juice, described as a “synergistic blend of nature’s most exotic and powerful antioxidant rich super fruits and berries”—seven of them altogether. In addition to 12 brick-and-mortar locations, most in Southern California, there’s also a food truck.

• In Toledo, OH, Balance Grille offers a mix-and-match menu of pan-Asian items promising attributes like Decadence, Fit Fare and Spicy, with selections that further break out into snacks like nachos and edamame, slider-like buns, and eight different bowls. These include the Thai Guy (“Our spin on a classic Thai peanut sauce is served with Carrots, Peapods, Fresno Peppers, and Fresh Sprouts”), Wiseman (“Customer favorite! A simple szechuan sauce served with Broccoli, Carrots, Corn, Fresh Sprouts, and Kale”) and Nuts 4 Pao (“A spicy kung-pao sauce served simply with Scallions, Roasted Peanuts, and Fresno Chili Peppers”), as well as the customer’s choice Build-a-Bowl.

• Strictly speaking, Asian Box may feature, well, boxes—but the concept is all about the custom build that you get with a bowl. In fact, this is the prototype for the DIY meal, in which guests choose a noodle, salad or rice base; a protein; and such toppings and sauces as steamed vegetables, chopped peanuts, and tamarind vinaigrette that are delivered all boxed up for convenient travel and enough shelf-life to get to home or office without compromising the quality.

• Yamas Mediterranean Grill in the D.C. area is a full-menu Mediterranean restaurant specializing in mezze and sandwiches, but it also has a custom rice bowl option as part of a multi-format Build Your Own offering that also includes pitas, wraps and salads. The build starts with a basmati and orzo blend that can be topped with items like gyros, chicken or pork souvlaki, or falafel, plus vegetables, cheese, hummus, yogurt, and other flavor boosters.

• Full-service restaurants are also embracing the bowl. HG Sply Co. in Dallas serves a paleo-style menu of specialties like steak, chicken, fish and fresh, nutritious vegetables and protein-laced salads, but its most unusual feature are the bowls. There are menued combinations such as The Free-Range (chicken, sweet potatoes hash and broccoli & bacon) and the Build Your Own Bowl section, which allows customers to put together an all-in-one feast of two vegetable base items (such as toasted quinoa pilaf and black beans) a meat (Mexican pulled pork, seared ahi tuna) and a topping (guacamole, walnut-arugula pesto). This, with or without the addition of two eggs, makes a meal designed to fuel the day.

Of course, any operation with a somewhat flexible kitchen package and labor pool can offer a bowl platform, and indeed El Pollo Loco has done LTO Pollo Bowls, the B. Good burger chain offers four Kale & Quinoa Bowls, Panera has its new Asian-accented Broth Bowls, and while Yum Brand’s new Banh Shop entry is mostly about the Vietnamese sandwiches, it also features a trip of Wok’d Bowls on its menu.

As with so many new restaurant ideas, it will be up to those operators who execute well and attract a loyal following to ensure their own success in the long term.

Need help executing your new restaurant idea? Contact Synergy Restaurant Consultants.


Tip of the Month

For more information on “The Why? Behind the Dine,” download the free report prepared by Technomic and Acosta Sales & Marketing by registering with Acosta here. Included is information on meal choices; share of spend for food at-home and away-from-home; and more on The Intricate Path to the Plate. And to read about the seven things diners look for when choosing a restaurant, read this article from the National Restaurant Association.