2 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

"It's a very sad and difficult

decision," owner-operator

Christopher Villano said

after a bankruptcy court

judge denied the restaurant's petition

for bankruptcy. Villano, who has been

in charge since 2002, blamed the

closure on "increasing food prices,

shifting city regulations and landlord

interference." The restaurant was re-

portedly $400,000 behind in its rent

obligations.

The restaurant opened in 1988 with

the Yankee slugger as part owner,

grossing $3.9 million its first year.

Before checking into the Betty Ford

Clinic in 1994, Mantle was frequently

seen at his memorabilia-decorated

namesake, drinking and schmooz-

ing with fans. He died the next year,

leaving the boîte in the hands of his

partners.

Frank and Chris Villano, owners of

Solera Restaurant, teamed up with

Bill and Chloe Liederman - the origi-

nal proprietors of Mickey Mantle’s -

to own and operate the famed eatery.

Since opening in 1988, Mickey Man-

tle's Restaurant established itself as a

New York institution, one of the city's

most popular restaurants and private

party locations.

The sports-themed restaurant has

hosted a wide variety of events, for 10

to 300 guests including birthday par-

ties, press conferences, weddings, bar

Strike Three For Mantle’s As NYC Restaurant ShuttersMickey Mantle's, the Central Park South eatery that was once part owned by the Yankee slugger and looked last month to be

digging itself out of debt, is closing after 24 years.

// NEWS RESTAURANTS

Villano, who has been in charge since

2002, blamed the closure on "increasing

food prices, shifting city regulations and

landlord interference." The restaurant

was reportedly $400,000 behind in its

rent obligations.

The restaurant opened in 1988 with the Yankee slugger as part owner, grossing $3.9 million its first year.

continued on page 4

3 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

4 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Main Office: 282 Railroad AvenueGreenwich, CT 06830

Publishers: Leslie & Fred Klashman

Advertising Director: Michael Scinto

Creative Director: Ross Moody

Phone: 203.661.9090 Fax: 203.661.9325

Email: tfs@totalfood.com Web: www.totalfood.com

Total Food Service ISSN No. 1060-8966 is published monthly by IDA Publishing, Inc., 282 Railroad Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. Phone: 203.661.9090. This issue copyright 2012 by IDA Publishing Inc. Contents in full or part may not be reproduced without permission. Not responsible for advertisers claims or statements.Periodicals Postage paid at the post office, Greenwich, CT and additional mailing offices. Additional entry at the post office in Pittsburg, PA. Subscription rate in USA is $36 per year; single copy; $3.00. Postmaster: Send address changes

to Total Food Service, P.O. Box 2507, Greenwich, CT 06836

mitzvahs, autograph shows, charity

auctions, and dinner parties.

The Executive Chef Chris Villano,

a graduate of the prestigious Culi-

nary Institute of America, supervised

Mickey Mantle's kitchen as he built

the business with cocktail receptions,

buffets, and sit-down dinners, as well

as serving up top quality "fun food"

for children's birthday parties.

Museum-quality memorabilia, a

state-of-the-art audio/video system,

a comprehensive sports video library,

the city's only all-sports art gallery,

and rare photos from Mickey Man-

tle's personal collection helped to

create an atmosphere unique among

New York restaurants.

Mickey Mantle's, the Central Park South eatery that was once part owned by the Yankee slugger and looked last month to be digging itself out of debt, is closing after 24 years.

The sports-themed restaurant has hosted a

wide variety of events, for 10 to 300 guests

including birthday parties, press conferences,

weddings, bar mitzvahs, autograph shows,

charity auctions, and dinner parties.

5 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

6 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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8 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Continuing at the heart of

the affair in 2012 was Keith

Hart, who is best known for

his eponymous marketing

agency on New York's nightlife and

entertainment scene. Hart's private

battle with thyroid cancer, now in

remission, inspired him to go public

with his mission, and rally the indus-

try to join the fight against cancer,

through an extraordinary evening of

dining, dancing and donating.

"People in the hospitality busi-

ness can be the most generous of any

other. We are united by this event, to

work hard together and as one in-

dustry, to fight this deadly disease,"

says Hart. In the spirit of generosity,

three Long Island hospitality industry

peers were honored for their achieve-

ments: Anthony "Tony" Greco, a 40-

year hospitality industry veteran and

owner of York Grill in Manhattan who

is best known for directing operations

of premier nightspots in New York

City and Long Island including Uncle

Sam's and "Malibu" Beach Club.

He is also a founding member of the

Long Island Hospitality Ball's 1980s

forerunner, the Bartenders' Ball,

serving for several years as chairman.

Steve Haweeli, founder and president

of WordHampton Public Relations,

the region's number one hospitality

PR firm, in addition to being known

for strategic counseling, media exper-

tise and as an early adopter of social

media to build brand reputations, is

responsible for the creation of Long

Island Restaurant Week, Hamptons

Restaurant Week and Long Island

Restaurant News.

Larry Romer, a 30-year veteran of

the beverage industry, since 2004

Long Island Hospitality Ball 2012 Surpasses Inaugural EventThe 2012 Long Island Hospitality Ball surpassed last year's inaugural event raising over $220,000

for the American Cancer Society.On Monday, June 18, 2012 at the Crest Hollow Country Club in

Woodbury,more than 2,000 attendees joined nearly 200 sponsors consisting of the region's top

restaurants, wine and spirit brands, nightclubs, entertainers, hotels and catering halls to raise

funds and celebrate "New Year's Eve" for the hospitality industry.

// NEWS EVENTS

continued on page 84Honorees Larry Romer, Steve Haweeli, & Tony Greco with Keith Hart Photo: Steve Hillebrand

LIHB at Crest Hollow Country Club Photo: Tom Fitzgerald & Pam Deutchman

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10 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

The restaurant will take over

a space in the same mas-

sive building that houses

Del Posto and Colicchio &

Sons. Expect a menu of traditional

Spanish tapas, as well as more mod-

ern creations, with an emphasis on

market ingredients and homemade

charcuterie.

Toro is a Barcelona-style tapas res-

taurant located in Boston's South

End. We serve traditional and mod-

ern Spanish-style small plates made

with locally sourced and sustainable

ingredients. Our beverage program

features classic-inspired cocktails

and an eclectic, all-Spanish wine list.

Oringer has created three distinct

culinary experiences in Boston that

each showcase his experimental and

gastronomically inventive cuisine

and reflect his international travels

and adventures. Oringer’s menus re-

flect the persistence with which he

sources wild and exotic ingredients

and then integrates them smoothly

in well thought out, beautiful dish-

es that are classically grounded but

thoroughly modern in delivery and

style.

Oringer began his education at

Bryant College in Rhode Island where

he earned a B.A in business manage-

ment, and immediately followed

Legendary Boston Eatery Announces Plans For Manhattan OutpostOne of Boston’s hottest restaurants is headed to New York. Chef/owner Ken Oringer and chef Jamie Bissonnette will

open a branch of their tapas hit Toro in Chelsea this year.

// NEWS RESTAURANTS

continued on page 81

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14 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Taylor, based in Oak Brook,

Illinois, is the leading North

American marketer of a

wide range of consumer and

foodservice precision measurement

products, including kitchen scales,

thermometers and timers; bath scales;

and outdoor weather measurement

products, under a variety of owned and

licensed brand names including Tay-

lor®, HoMedics® and Salter®.

Taylor’s heritage dates back over

160 years and the company boasts a

reputation for providing accurate and

high-quality products to a diverse

spectrum of retail customers, ranging

from high-end specialty stores to mass

merchandisers, hardware stores, club

stores and grocery retailers. Taylor has

maintained market leadership by pro-

viding high-quality, attractive products

at a competitive price for consumers,

together with outstanding retail cus-

tomer service and support.

Bruce Pollack, a Managing Partner of

Centre Partners, said, “We are pleased

to invest in Taylor and to establish the

business as an independent company.

We look forward to supporting Taylor

by providing important resources, in-

cluding capital, further strengthening

its management team and implement-

ing new product and marketing initia-

NYC'S Centre Partners Acquires Taylor Precision ProductsCentre Partners, a leading middle market private equity firm, announced last month that it

has acquired Taylor Precision Products, Inc.

// NEWS ACQUISITIONS

continued on page 81

15 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

16 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Truck Brings Bread For Life To Needy New YorkersScoop hears that when the brand new

custom-designed food truck for St.

John’s Bread and Life hit the streets of

Brooklyn and Queens last month, it

serves hot, healthy meals made from

locally sourced ingredients to thou-

sands of New Yorkers. The new truck,

built in California, replaces a wagon

that was “falling apart” according to

Thomas E. McInerney, a board mem-

ber who donated $50,000 toward the

purchase of the truck, and the co-

funder and chief executive of bluff

Point Associates, a private equity firm

based in Westport, CT.

St. John’s Bread and Life, founded

30 years ago, provides a variety of

resources to needy people, includ-

ing meals, a food pantry and various

counseling services, such as legal and

medical advice and help applying for

public benefits. Mr. McInerney joined

the board of St. John’s Bread and Life a

decade ago and, during his service as

board chair, led the charity’s $10 mil-

lion capital campaign to build head-

quarters in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

A Brooklyn native, who was born and

raised in the Flatbush neighborhood

and married in the borough, Mr. Mc-

Inerney is a graduate of, trustee and

chair emeritus, for St. John’s Univer-

sity in Queens. St. John’s Bread and

Life is sponsored by and receives help

from the university and it’s through

that relationship that Mr. McIner-

ney became involved with the pov-

erty charity, which is now among his

foremost philanthropic interests. The

soup truck has long been a vital part of

the services of the organization, pro-

viding meals to some 100,000 people

annually. The truck is equipped with

a kitchen for keeping food warm and

a separate private office where clients

can meet with a staff member to sign

up for public services. “Demand for

food and services has risen dramati-

cally over the last two years,” Mr. Mc-

Inerney says. Many of the organiza-

tion’s guests now are senior citizens on

fixed incomes or single parents with

young children who have a place to

live. “Those people are not homeless,

they just can’t afford both food and

rent. People are getting squeezed,”

says Mr. McInerney. It’s that pressure

that motivates Mr. McInerney’s giving.

Hamptons Chefs Dinner Showcasing Great Manhat-tan Chefs And Top Local

TalentScoop notes that Josh Capon is among

the world famous chefs featured at the

2012 Chefs Dinner this summer in the

Hamptons. The extraordinary line-up

is still in formation. The much-antici-

pated event now in its seventh year in

the ongoing series will be held on Sat-

urday, July 28th starting at 5:30 p.m.

on Hayground School’s campus as a

benefit for Hayground School’s Jeff’s

Kitchen and the Jeff Salaway Schol-

arship Fund. The event will include

a cocktail party from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

featuring notable Manhattan chefs

as well as top local chefs preparing

hors d’oeuvres using local bounty.

Confirmed chefs at this year’s event

include: Josh Capon (Lure Fish Bar),

James Carpenter (The Living Room),

Bryan Futerman (Foody’s), Doug Gu-

lija (The Plaza Café), Christian Mir

(Stone Creek Inn), Kevin Penner (1770

House), Joseph Realmuto (Honest

Man Restaurants), Cheryl Stair (Art

of Eating), Jason Weiner (Almond),

Joe Isidori (Southfork Kitchen), Joel

Hough (Il Buco), Justin Smillie (Il

Buco Alimentari & Vineria), Arthur

Wolf (Smokin’ Wolf BBQ), Marc Meyer

(Cookshop), Davie Simmons (Uptown

Juice Bar) and Claudia Fleming (North

Fork Table & Inn). Product sponsors

include: Cavaniola’s Gourmet Cheese

Shop, D’Artagnan, Blue Parrot Mar-

garitas, VerTerra, PLAIN-T, Green-

port Brewing Company, Crystal Head

Vodka, Wolffer Vineyards, Channing

Daughters Winery, Hampton Coffee

and Diplomatico Rum. A silent art

auction will also be held during the

cocktail party featuring renowned art-

ists.

NYC Steakhouse Serves Its Final SirloinScoop notes that the rumors were con-

firmed last month when proprietor

Ben Benson sadly closed its doors.

Ben Benson’s Steak House, a 30 year-

old West Midtown staple for finance

moguls, athletes and other high rollers

closed its doors on June 17th, Father’s

Day. “For me it’s like my kitchen and

// SCOOP INSIDER NEWS FROM METRO NEW YORK’S FOODSERVICE SCENE

St. John’s Bread and Life is sponsored by and receives help from the university and it’s through that relationship that Mr. McInerney became involved with the poverty charity, which is now among his foremost philanthropic interests.

Josh Capon is among the world fa-mous chefs featured at the 2012 Chefs Dinner this summer in the Hamptons.

The soup truck has

long been a vital

part of the services

of the organization,

providing meals to

some 100,000 people

annually.

SCOOP notes that the

rumors were confirmed

last month when

proprietor Ben Benson

sadly closed its doors.

Ben Benson’s Steak

House, a 30 year-old

West Midtown staple

for finance moguls,

athletes and other high

rollers closed its doors

on June 17th, Father’s

Day.

17 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

living room rolled in one,” said Mr.

Lawler, 47 years old, a Ben Benson’s

regular who works nearby in the fi-

nancial services industry. He got en-

gaged at Benson’s.

“My sons have their names here, piped

in Mr. Visconti, 51, pointing to their

names etched into the bronze plaques

along the bar. Regulars included ex-

ecutives from nearby UBS, Morgan

Stanley and CBS. It is a local haunt

for Giants football players. Quarter-

back Eli Manning has been in. Newly

crowned Jets quarterback Tim Tebow,

too. Bartender Mark Moody has been

at Benson’s for 29 years. He met his

wife there in 1983. “You have an emo-

tional attachment, with the custom-

ers,” he said. “And the staff.”

No one is more affected by the closure

than Mr. Benson himself, who lost

his vision in his 20s and yet skillfully

makes his way around the restaurant,

pointing out portraits of his dogs and

a signed picture from the 1986 Super

Bowl champion Giants team. Mr. Ben-

son said the Paramount Group, which

owns the building, refused to renew

his lease. Mr. Benson has a long his-

tory in New York’s restaurant business.

He and former partner Alan Stillman

opened the “Days of the Week res-

taurants, the Grand Café and Smith &

Wollensky. His namesake restaurant

has 270 seats and employs 83 people.

Some have been there since the day it

opened in 1982.

Rockwell Set to Bring Peace

To United Nations OutpostScoop sees that the Millennium Hotels

has announced the $30 million first

phase of a major interior renovation

of its 438-room lodging at One Unit-

ed Nations Plaza, the late-Modernist

masterpiece designed by Pritzker

Prize-winning architect Kevin Roche.

Unfortunately the project poses risks

to two of the city’s great, but relatively

unknown, interior spaces, the hotel’s

interior spaces, the hotel’s lobby and

its basement restaurant, the Ambassa-

dor Grill. Dripping with Disco-era glitz,

the two public spaces epitomize 1970s

glamour. At the same time, they cap-

ture the ethos of how late-Modern pe-

riod architects thought spaces should

function. The space now is “just darn

tired,” said Grace Leo, a Paris –based

hotel consultant who was brought in

to oversee the redesign. “It’s beyond

shabby chic.” Ms. Leo said Millen-

nium has decided to strip the lobby

of hundreds of square feet of mirrored

wall surfaces and replace most of the

restaurant’s fixtures, including red

velvet-wrapped banquettes, neon-lit

wine racks and its centerpiece, a low-

hanging faux-skylight made of angled,

stretched Mylar panels. Millennium is

justified, of course, in giving the hotel

a facelift. The Ambassador Grill hasn’t

served lunch or dinner for six years

and looks tired and hidden. The hotel

says it is in contract talks with trendy

New York restaurant architect David

Rockwell to redesign the space. Mr.

Roche, an Irish-born architect was a

disciple of the late Finnish master-

designer Eero Saarinen, best known

in New York for his design of the Ford

Foundation Building on East 43rd

Street and redesigning the Metropoli-

tan Museum of Art’s American wing.

Mr. Roche designed exteriors and in-

teriors of the One United Nations Pla-

za complex with his partner John Din-

keloo, starting in the late 1960s. The

two soaring black towers house both

the Millennium Hotel and about 50

floors of U.N. Office space. Moreover,

preserving Mr. Roche’s interior would

be commercially as well as aestheti-

cally smart. It’s only a mater of time

before that ‘70s look becomes trendy

again. “It’s really close, I think, to being

appreciated again. They’re probably

getting rid of it five years too soon,”

says Kyle Johnson, a New York archi-

tect who recently curated an exhibit

on Mr. Roche’s work for the museum

of the City of New York. “The fact that a

1970-something interior survived this

long, I thought it might last through

the next taste cycle. Someone could

really milk this design, because it’s re-

ally unique and someone could really

do something with it. You don’t have

to throw the baby out with the bath-

water.”

The Fieri Effect In East VillageScoop says that the Boardwalk stands

pray for sun, $5 umbrella vendors pray

for rain and the three NYC restaura-

teurs who’ve been featured on Guy

Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”

pray for reruns. While the Food Net-

work’s seal of approval usually pro-

duces a steady, permanent jump in

business for restaurants across the

country, nothing in ultra-competitive,

on-to-the-next thing New York City

comes easy. “I’ve started to nickname

it the roller coaster,” observes Jer-

emiah Clancy, owner of Mama’s Food

Shop in the East Village. Clancy sees a

dramatic spike in business when his

segment re-airs, followed by about

three weeks of increased business.

Ben Benson sadly closed its doors June 17th, 2012.

The Millennium Hotels has announced the $30 million first phase of a major interior renovation of its 438-room lodging at One United Nations Plaza.

continued on next page

Mr. Roche, an Irish-

born architect was

a disciple of the late

Finnish master-

designer Eero

Saarinen, best known

in New York for his

design of the Ford

Foundation Building

on East 43rd Street

and redesigning the

Metropolitan Museum

of Art’s American wing.

“The energy in

the room changes

dramatically every

time our segment on

Guy’s show airs.”

18 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Things return to normal for loyal cus-

tomers and shot back up again when a

new repeat occurs about two months

later. Meg Grace, chef/owner of the

Redhead experiences the same roller

coaster effect as Clancy.

While all three restaurants had a loy-

al clientele before being featured on

the show, the increased business has

become especially important in the

sluggish economy. “The energy in the

room changes dramatically every time

our segment on Guy’s show airs,” says

Grace, who has built her usual hipster

clientele on word of mouth and a stack

of positive foodie press. All three own-

ers observe that Fieri has more influ-

ence on tourists and people from the

Tri-State area than on New Yorkers. As

a result, the Fieri Factor usually kicks

in on the weekend, when people can

venture to the East Village for Mama’s

and Redhead. Fans overwhelmingly

want what Fieri had!

New Boutique Hotel To “Shelter” IslandScoop is excited to hear that Shelter

Island is about to get a chic new bou-

tique hotel that is sure to draw some

of the stylish set that flocks to Andre

Balazs’ popular Sunset Beach resort.

Cape Advisors, which has partnered

with Balazs in the city and has devel-

oped five hotels in Cape May, NJ, is in

contract to buy the Chequit Inn, a 37-

room mom and pop hotel.

The $10 million project includes reno-

vating, adding a pool and creating an

upscale restaurant, developer Curtis

Bashaw noted. “We will give it some

TLC and upgrade the amenities. It’s a

wonderful American classic resort,”

Bashaw said. “Shelter Island is still a

secret little destination between the

panache of the Hamptons and the bu-

colic beauty of the North Fork.” The

deal is slated to close this fall. Bashaw

says that he and Balazs remain good

friends and that the “healthy competi-

tion” will be good for the island. Robin

Schneiderman, a Halstead broker and

summer Shelter Island resident, said

the deal will continue to raise the is-

land’s profile.

Blendtec Announces Stealth, The Quietest, Most Advanced Commercial BlenderScoop hears that Blendtec which re-

cently announced the upcoming re-

lease of its new Stealth blender. “The

Stealth blender makes smoothies at

the decibel level of normal conver-

sation,” said Tom Dickson, Blendtec

Founder and CEO. “The Stealth is the

most powerful, versatile Blendtec

blender in any environment, and

is also the quietest blender in the

world.” The new blender, which was

on display at the National Restaurant

Association (NRA) Show in Chicago,

IL, gives foodservice professionals

the best of both worlds: the strongest,

most versatile blender on the market

that can also be used in environments

where sound is an important consid-

eration. The Stealth blender offers

new opportunities for eateries, cafés,

coffee shops and commercial kitchens

everywhere who can now add blended

drinks and expand their menus with-

out disrupting their customers’ expe-

rience. World’s quietest commercial

blender (based on internal testing and

available competitive data); • Illumi-

nated capacitive touch controls; Touch

slider for fine-tuned manual speed

control and USB interface for easy

programming changes and updates.

The Stealth blender includes the latest

proprietary sound-management and

airflow innovations, and offers a host

of other advances never before seen

in the commercial blending market-

place. An illuminated control surface

with capacitive touch interface brings

commercial blenders into the twenty-

first century. The control panel also

features a manual slider for precise

speed adjustments. In addition to the

intuitive controls, the Stealth blender

can be quickly loaded with new pre-

programmed blend cycles via a USB

port. Blendtec® customers can cre-

ate unique blend cycles for specific

recipes online, then easily roll out the

changes to Stealth blenders across an

entire franchise network. The value

for the foodservice industry includes:

Powerful blending at the sound level

of normal conversation; Simple, intui-

tive touch controls; One of the small-

est footprints in its class; Fully cus-

tomizable one-touch blend cycles and

Easy USB programming across entire

“fleet.” Dickson highlights the need in

the commercial marketplace for the

Stealth blender’s advanced technol-

ogy. “Businesses have been craving

these innovations, and we’re excited

The $10 million project

includes renovating,

adding a pool and

creating an upscale

restaurant, developer

Curtis Bashaw noted.

19 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

to be the first to deliver them,” he says.

“Foodservice professionals can now

expand their menus and offer incred-

ible custom-blended food and drinks

to their customers. And it doesn’t hurt

that the Stealth is aesthetically amaz-

ing.”

Food & Wine Festival Com-ing To Montclair, NJ

Scoop says great news about the long-

awaited Montclair Food & Wine Festi-

val: the exciting two-day event is now

confirmed for May 4th and 5th, 2013

at the historic Woman's Club of Upper

Montclair. This landmark charitable

festival will mark the inauguration of

what is anticipated to be an annual

event.

A non-profit organization powered by

a volunteer core that believes in giving

back to the community, the Montclair

Food & Wine Festival (MFWF) will be

establishing a scholarship fund for a

local student who exhibits merit and

financial need to further their culinary

education. The MFWF will also be do-

nating a portion of the proceeds from

the event to the St. Joseph's Children's

Hospital Center for Feeding and Swal-

lowing and to Mountainside Hospi-

tal’s Partners in Health Foundation.

Notes MFWF creator, Melody Kettle,

"Montclair has long been considered

the 'unofficial' food capital of New

Jersey, so we're thrilled that lovers of

food, wine and spirits from all over

the state will be able to gather here for

two days of exceptional food and wine

tasting experiences." On the evening

of May 4th, 2013 guests will gather

for the Grand Tasting, where they will

sample the culinary offerings of many

of the state's finest restaurants. Gary's

Wine & Marketplace (Bernardsville,

Madison, Wayne) will be presenting

wines from around the world and Hal-

cyon Seafood Brasserie will be offering

outstanding spirits. On day two—May

5th, 2013—guests will experience a

tour-de-force of collaborative culinary

wizardry: Michael Carrino of the soon-

to-open Pig & Prince in Lackawanna

Plaza; Ariane Duarte of CulinAriane;

Ryan DePersio of Fascino, Bar Cara

and NICO Kitchen + Bar; Mitchell

Altholz of Highlawn Pavilion; Fran-

cesco Palmieri of the Orange Squirrel;

Zod Arifai of Blu, Next Door, and da-

ryl, will all join forces on an extraordi-

nary dinner for attendees. Montclair’s

Amanti Vino will be pairing/coordi-

nating the wines and proprietor Sha-

ron Sevrens will give a little explana-

tion on the particular wines paired. "I

chose to be involved in the Montclair

Food & Wine Festival to provide a chef

and restaurant owner's prospective to

the overall project," said Michael Car-

rino, formerly of Passionné and cur-

rently developing his new restaurant

concept—Pig & Prince. "I hope that

my input will assist in making this

festival one of New Jersey's premiere

events highlighting what is already

one of the elite dining scenes in the

state. I am looking forward to working

with all of those involved to make this

event a great success." So mark your

calendars for May 4th and May 5th,

2013, and join us for the first Montclair

Food & Wine Festival!

CONNECTICUT NEW YORK

NEW JERSEY

• 181 Marsh Hill Road• 91 Brainard Road• 566 Hamilton Avenue• 15-06 132nd Street• 1966 Broadhollow Road • 720 Stewart Avenue• 43-40 57th Avenue• 1335 Lakeland Avenue• 650 S. Columbus Avenue• 305 S. Regent St.• 777 Secaucus Road• 45 East Wesley Street• 140 South Avenue• 1135 Springfield Road

• Orange, CT 06477• Hartford, CT 06114• Brooklyn, NY 11232• College Point, NY 11356• Farmingdale, NY 11735• Garden City, NY 11530• Maspeth, NY 11378• Bohemia, NY 11716• Mt. Vernon, NY 10550• Port Chester, NY 10573 • Secaucus, NJ 07094• S. Hackensack, NJ 07606• S. Plainfield, NJ 07080• Union, NJ 07083

• 203-795-9900• 860-549-4000• 718-768-0555• 718-762-1000• 631-752-3900• 516-794-9200• 718-707-9330• 631-218-1818• 914-665-6868• 914-935-0220• 201-601-4755• 201-996-1991• 908-791-2740• 908-964-5544

A non-profit

organization powered

by a volunteer core

that believes in giving

back to the community,

the Montclair Food &

Wine Festival (MFWF)

will be establishing

a scholarship fund

for a local student

who exhibits merit

and financial need to

further their culinary

education.

20 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

National Waste Associates’

Waste Management Program

for Fats, Oils and Grease of-

fers a fast and thorough way

to tackle what is a messy and challeng-

ing disposal issue for restaurants and

food outlets, and an increasingly com-

mon and unwanted clean-up problem

for local authorities.

As well as hampering the effective-

ness of wastewater treatment plants,

the build up of FOG in pipework de-

creases its capacity, creates blockages

that are estimated to be the cause of

30 to 35% of all sanitary overflows,

and results in the early and expensive

replacement of piping. This is leading

local authorities to deal with improper

disposal by introducing even stricter

regulations and imposing stiffer pen-

alties on those who breach local ordi-

nances.

For the owners and managers of food

service establishments, National Waste

Associates’ Waste Management Pro-

gram for Fats, Oils and Grease provides

a cost-effective “start to finish” solution

that is tailored to an establishment’s

short- and long-term needs.

Working to either a specified local

ordinance schedule or responding to

seasonal or promotion-led demands,

NWA provides the right service at the

right time. National Waste Associates’

network of certified restaurant grease,

Connecticut Firm Debuts New Restaurant Grease Waste Disposal ProgramA new service from Glastonbury, CT based National Waste Associates (NWA) is helping food

service establishments nationwide to dispose of used and unwanted fats, oils and grease

(FOG) more efficiently and cost effectively than before.

// NEWS EFFICIENCY

continued on page 81

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The Brooklyn, New York-

based subsidiary of Pie Face

Holdings Pty Ltd, based

in Sydney, Australia, an-

nounced the closing of a private place-

ment of shares of its Common Stock.

Total gross proceeds to Pie Face USA

were US $15 million. The purchased

shares represent approximately 43%

of the issued and outstanding shares

of Pie Face USA on a fully-diluted ba-

sis.

“Having met the Pie Face USA man-

agement team recently and having

visited their first store in New York, I

came to the conclusion that they were

bright people with a bright concept. I

look forward to backing them as they

expand throughout Manhattan and

across the United States.”

The shares were purchased by Steve

Wynn, the founder, Chairman and

CEO of Wynn Resorts, Limited. Pie

Face USA is also announcing that Kev-

in McCollum, a leading Broadway pro-

ducer, will be consulting with them on

their U.S. marketing programs.

Wynn will appoint two directors

to the Board of Directors of Pie Face

USA alongside Wayne Homschek (Co-

Founder and CEO of Pie Face Austra-

lia and President of Pie Face USA),

Betty Fong (Co-Founder and COO of

Pie Face Australia), Alun Evans (Head

of Business Development of Pie Face

Australia) and Chris Sieger (Vice Presi-

dent of Strategic Development of Pie

Face USA).

Homschek said, “We are thrilled to

have such experienced and talented

entrepreneurs supporting us in the

roll-out of Pie Face USA. Initially we

will be opening company-owned

stores in New York City, followed by a

planned national roll-out in other key

markets across the United States. We

could not have asked for a better en-

dorsement of our brand and our po-

tential in both the United States and

globally.”

McCollum said, “On a recent trip to

Australia I came face-to-face with Pie

Face and fell in love with their pies and

the creative energy behind the brand.

$15 Mill Investment Spurs Manhattan Growth Of Aussie Pie Face ChainSteve Wynn, the chairman and chief executive of Wynn

Resorts Ltd. in Las Vegas, has purchased a $15 million slice

of Pie Face USA, a subsidiary of the 75-unit Sydney,

Australia-based bakery-café chain that recently debuted its

first U.S. unit in New York’s Times Square.

// NEWS INVESTMENTS

23 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

When Wayne and Betty opened their

first store in America, I was compelled

to seek them out and be a part of the

Pie Face adventure.”

Wynn is one of America’s most re-

spected entrepreneurs and is the

founder, Chairman and CEO of Wynn

Resorts, Limited, the developer, owner

and operator of Wynn Las Vegas, En-

core at Wynn Las Vegas, Wynn Macau

and Encore at Wynn Macau. Mr. Wynn

has been involved in the hospitality

industry since 1963, when he took over

his family’s bingo parlor in Maryland.

In 1967, he accumulated a small stake

in the Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las

Vegas. From there, Mr. Wynn went on

to rebuild the Las Vegas strip by build-

ing or refurbishing the Golden Nugget,

The Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio,

Wynn Las Vegas and Encore at Wynn

Las Vegas. In 2006, Wynn Resorts, Lim-

ited opened one of the first casinos in

Macau, Wynn Macau. Encore at Wynn

Macau opened in 2010.

McCollum is one of Broadway’s

most successful producers, having

credits for such productions as Rent in

1996. That year, Rent won Tony Awards

for Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score

and Best Featured Actor as well as the

Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 2005, he

served as the Executive Producer for

the movie version of Rent. His com-

pany, The Producing Office, has been

responsible for a number of highly

successful projects including Avenue

Q in 2004, The Drowsy Chaperone in

2006 and In the Heights in 2007.

Pie Face USA was incorporated in

April 2011 as a wholly-owned subsid-

iary of Pie Face Australia. It currently

has one store open at 1691 Broadway

in Manhattan and a 6,000 square foot

central commissary in Sunset Park,

Brooklyn, where all of the products are

made from scratch.

Pie Face USA has begun develop-

ment of a second store in Manhattan

at 507 Third Ave (Murray Hill) and has

signed leases for stores in Manhattan

at 469 Seventh Avenue (Penn Plaza

District) and 169 West 23rd Street

(Chelsea). Pie Face USA is also actively

negotiating leases for additional sites

in Manhattan.

Pie Face USA was incorporated in April 2011 as a wholly-

owned subsidiary of Pie Face Australia. It currently has one

store open at 1691 Broadway in Manhattan and a 6,000 square

foot central commissary in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where all of

the products are made from scratch.

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28 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Okay so first question is tell me how your grand-father started his busi-ness?

Aaron Hill was a soldier stationed

on Liberty Island then Bedloe’s Is-

land right after WWI when the Army

ran the island. The PX used to sell to

the visitors, and then the time came

when PX could no longer sell to visi-

tors so he retired from the Army and

started up a stand.

That's great. And what did they sell when they first opened? They sold gifts and souvenirs. With-

in a couple of years my grandfather

opened a food stand. He ran it un-

til he passed away in the 1940’s. My

grandmother, Evelyn, a Polish immi-

grant, then took over for many years

until my father was old enough to

take over.

And what impact did your dad have in the business?He ran it for decades and built up the

business. He had to bid on the con-

tract several times during his tenure

and offered more to the public each

time. He retired in 1996.

And what did you take away from him? He taught me well. I worked for him

for 16 years directly - full time but I

also came here as a kid and worked.

He taught me how to train and treat

our employees. He taught me if we

take care of the visitors, the visitors

will take care of us. It's been great and

I still keep my father informed on how

the operations are going.

And was your dad a sales type guy? Tell me a little bit about him, was he a food oriented guy? Or was he more of a trinket guy?I'm not sure I could say one over the

other. He is a great businessman and

able to work very successfully with

the National Park Service and the

public. During his life he operated

some other concessions as well. We

also operate the concession at Fort

McHenry in Baltimore, We have been

there over 75 years.

When you look at what you do when you wake up in the morning are you in the food business or are you in the retail business? As far as sales are concerned, we're

about 65% retail and about 35% sou-

venir and the main reason for that is,

for most of the year we don't open

until 9 a.m. and we close at 5 or 6 p.m.

so we don't really serve breakfast by

the time people get here and we don't

serve dinner. So, we're basically a

lunch operation, lunch and snacks.

What was your vision when you took over the business in 2006?I started in 1981 but I took over for

him in 1996. For many years we were

on one-year extensions with the NPS

Brad Hill, President and CEOEvelyn Hill Inc., New York, NY

Recently, TFS sat down with Brad Hill of Evelyn Hill Inc. to talk about The Statue of

Liberty & Ellis Island operations and its remarkable sustainable energy track record.

// Q&A

29 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

and finally in 2009 we were awarded

a new contract which included El-

lis Island. It was bid on fiercely - we

had probably over $30 billion dollars

worth of companies going against us.

We have typical companies, Aramark,

Delaware North, Xantera amongst

others, all bidding for our contract

and we were fortunate enough to win

that contract for another 10 years. We

also do catering at Ellis Island and the

Statue of Liberty.

What do you think enabled you to win that bid? The National Park Service issues a

prospectus. There is a series of ques-

tions and they asked for your ideas

and concepts. A number of those

concepts revolved around the impact

of the park and the environment. Our

company is a leader in reducing waste

and reducing our footprint. This pro-

spectus allowed us to demonstrate

our ability in new and creative con-

cepts to achieve those ends.

You just made a very important point which is this bidding process is what it was really about, and kudos to the park services, which had a vi-sion for the operation as much as it was for the bottom line dollars above the operation and you don't see that all the time.Right, the Park Service world is differ-

ent than most other concerns. The fi-

nancial element is weighed a little bit

less. It's not the highest bidder. Mon-

ey is important, no question about it.

Our proposal had concepts that in-

vested over $12 million into our Park

operations.

In our proposal we offered to reno-

vate The Ellis Island Cafe and Crown

Café. The Ellis Cafe is finished. The

Crown Cafe will be this winter. Both

gift shops were renovated in 2010.

The new retail pavilion on Liberty

Island earned us a LEED platinum

status with all of our environmental

objectives.

As you look at your food operations,

you have two distinct pieces, you've got a concession business that you operated out of your cafes and then you have your catering business. What is the object of the game - to consolidate through buying properly and through kitchen and through the type of kitchens or commissaries that you built. Walk me through your approach to food service.Our primary focus is taking care of

the visitors that come every day. We

can get up to 16-17,000 visitors a day

in the summer season and so that

is our focus and that is how all our

kitchen equipment and layout is de-

signed. In addition the park allows

us catered events in the evening on

both islands and we do have areas

set aside for catering and preparing

foods. We also allow outside caterers

to come in and service those people

as well. We provide the facilities to do

that and the management to execute

their event. It's not just food. It's also

tenting, lighting, sound etc. Even

barging for events at Liberty Island.

When it comes to a venue like that it's

the whole package we help manage.

You mentioned the rebuilding or the opening of a new cafe.Yes. The Ellis Café. We transformed it

from what was called the food court

which looked like a typical food oper-

ation in the mall, to a more old world

charm that would make you feel it

may have belonged there although it

didn't exist In Ellis Island.

Any changes in the menu?The menu is generally typical Ameri-

can fare. Burgers, pork barbecue, piz-

za, chicken, but also offer ethnic spe-

cials. We have two elements that are

very important to us. One is our pro-

viding a healthier menu. This year we

completely revamped our menu and

removed over 150 million calories

off of our menu. We take every day

foods and make them healthier. For

example, we took a cheeseburger and

by changing the roll, we took off 170

calories alone. We look at each item to

see how we could build that food item

differently to make it healthier for the

visitor.

Is there an executive chef that ex-ecutes that for you? We work in part with healthydining.

com for designing a healthier menu.

We're also a member of the Green

Restaurant Association. We are actu-

ally a 3-star certified green restau-

rant-one of the few!

That's really interesting. You don't see this a lot - a commitment in both what I would call front of the house and back of the house to agree on a sustainable strategy.Last year we were able to divert 94%

over waste! Though selecting items

that could be washed and eliminat-

ing disposables as much as possible.

We compost all of our food scraps.

Because of our success, the National

Restaurant Association awarded us

both a Sustainability award and Inno-

vator of the Year!

What went into that? Was that part of being a member of a community? What made you think about that? This is a personal issue. We've been

environmentally conscious for de-

cades. We were the first concession

in the Park Service to install waterless

urinals, and we did that back in 2000.

But we've always tried to reduce our

paper and disposable usage and any-

thing that would go in the garbage.

We have plastic tumblers for drink-

ing. Platters and plates for eating. We

installed new Energy Star® dishwash-

ers. The new dishwasher also reduced

our water use by 40% compared to

the prior dishwasher. At the retail pa-

vilion we collect the storm water off

the roof which reduced our water bill

for the restrooms by about 60%. So

there's a lot of positive things that can

The environment has always been

something I've been concerned with

going back to high school days when

Earth Day first started. It's just been

something that has been important to me

and I'm able to take my concept and ideas

and execute it on the business.

continued on page 80

The Crown Cafe at the Statue of Liberty

30 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

This year's honorees

were Cardinal's Bryan

O'Rourke, DMS Corp. &

Tri-Metro Industries' Al-

bert and Stephanie Lasher

and Advantage Waypoint LLC's award

was accepted by Mark Hanson. EYE

visited with many of the Metro NYC

area's leading equipment and sup-

ply notables including: Hobart's Gary

Simpson, Admiral Craft Equipment's

Matthew Lobman, Holly Newme and

AJC Pays Tribute to the Personal & Professional Achievements of Our 2012 HonoreesEYE notes that this year's American Jewish Committee (AJC) fete at the Bronx Botanical Gardens was special for so many

reasons. The AJC's Food Service Division's Human Relations Award Dinner once again was among a highlight of its annual

calendar of events in the Metro New York area.

// NEWS EVENTS

(L to R) Restaurant Depot's Naomi Cohen and Larry Rosenthal with Bobbi Lehr of Glissen Chemical

Mr. and Mrs. Rob Monroe of KeyIm-pact Sales

(L to R) ITW's Gary Simpson and Sam Tell and Son's chief Marc Tell

Food brokrage icon Advantage Waypoint shared top AJC honors with Mark Han-son accepting on the firm's behalf

Paper legends Stephanie and Albert Lasher were recognized by the AJC

Cardinal Glassware's Bryan O'Rourke shared his award winning evening with friends and family

continued on page 83

(L to R) Imperial Bag and Paper's Bob Tillis with Cascade Tissue Group's Dennis Lion, Brian Cassidy and President Suzanne Blanchet

31 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

But since he began par-

ticipating in his school’s

Teen Battle Chef team,

he says he’s lost around

10 pounds and now ap-

preciates foods he used to think were

disgusting.

“I love guacamole now,” he told the

audience at the Schomburg Center for

Research on Black Culture last month.

“I used to not be so hot on guacamo-

le.” Similar tales of reformed food atti-

tudes and healthier eating habits were

as abundant as the pre-show free kale

samples in the lobby. And when TV

personality and heart disease aware-

ness campaigner Star Jones dropped

in to host the cooking contest and

raise awareness about youth obesity,

she brought a few celebrity friends in

her wake.

Former Gov. David Paterson, and

Teen chefs from Bread & Roses Integrated Arts High School compete for top hon-ors at Harlem Competition to battle obesity.

continued on page 65

Teen Chefs Battle For Top Honors At Harlem Competition To Battle ObesityCakes, cookies, and Twinkies used to be daily menu items for

Quinton Harper, a high school student at Bread & Roses

Integrated Arts High School.

// NEWS COMPETITIONS

32 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Invited guests, including cel-

ebrated chefs Jonathan Benno,

Laurent Gras, Daniel Humm,

David Kinch, Matthew Lightner,

and Eric Ripert, were present to

celebrate Keller's achievement in the

culinary industry.

Keller's restaurants have made The

World's 50 Best Restaurants list since

the inaugural list 10 years ago. His first

restaurant, The French Laundry in

Yountville, California, topped the list

in both 2003 and 2004.The restaurant

effectively revolutionized American

cooking, combining classical French

techniques with distinctive, locally

sourced quality ingredients years be-

fore such an approach became de ri-

gueur.

Per Se, which opened in New York

City in 2004, has brought Keller's dis-

tinctive hands-on approach from The

French Laundry to New York City. Per Se

reflects Keller's intense focus on detail,

which touches not only his cuisine, but

extends to the presentation, mood and

surroundings of the entire restaurant.

Currently at number six on the 2012 list

of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, Per

Se is the highest ranked restaurant in

the United States. With two three-star

restaurants on opposite coasts, Keller's

philosophy on hiring, training and

mentoring the right individuals and

teams allows him the ability to operate

New York City Chef Keller Wins Lifetime Achievement AwardChef Thomas Keller was honored last month in New York City after being awarded the S.Pellegrino Lifetime Achievement award at The

World's 50 Best Restaurants awards in London last month.

// NEWS AWARDS

continued on page 75

33 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Ms. Deen rejoins the fes-

tival to share her deli-

cious southern cook-

ing for the second year

with the world’s most renowned chefs,

icons, TV personalities, experts and

guests. Her last appearance with the

Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival

was in the summer of 2010.

Ms. Deen joins arguably one of the

strongest lineups to date, including

Anne Burrell, Tyler Florence, Nadia G,

Robert Irvine, Buddy Valastro and An-

drew Zimmern. Ms. Deen enjoys one of

her most successful partnerships with

Caesars Entertainment, with her four

signature restaurants at various Cae-

sars properties; Paula Deen’s Kitchens

at Harrah’s Joliet, Harrah’s Cherokee

and Paula Deen Buffets at Harrah’s

Tunica and Horseshoe Indiana. The

event, which sells-out annually and

is the largest food and wine festival

in the market, takes place across all

four Caesars Entertainment Atlan-

tic City casinos and resorts - Caesars,

Harrah’s Resort, Showboat & Bally’s.

“It’s an honor to welcome Paula Deen

back to Atlantic City for this year’s

Food & Wine Festival,” said Jennifer

Weissman, Regional Vice President of

Marketing for Caesars Entertainment.

“With her magnetic personality and

warm spirit, Paula is a great partner of

ours with her restaurants at our prop-

erties across the country and she has

always been a fan favorite of Caesars

Entertainment guests. We know festi-

val goers are going to be elated by her

return.”

“I look forward to spending time at

this wonderful festival at the Caesars

properties in Atlantic City,” comments

author, restaurateur and TV host Paula

Deen. “It’s really special for Michael

and I to be a part of such a wonderful

event, and we look forward to bringing

some Southern love to all of our friends

at the Atlantic City Food and Wine Fes-

tival.” Ms. Deen will host two events

throughout the festival, HOB Gospel

Brunch and Chef in Restaurant, bring-

ing her one-of-a-kind personality, cu-

linary expertise and mouthwatering

southern dishes. Ms. Deen will also

make special appearances at other

events throughout the weekend in-

cluding Blues, Brews & BBQ and Sweet

& Stylish, among others. Guests will

also have the opportunity to get an up

close and personal experience with

the chef who undoubtedly is known

for her southern charm at her book

signing event at Caesars.

The eclectic group of top culinary

guests doesn’t stop at famous names

as the 2012 Atlantic City Food and

Wine Festival will also showcase wine,

beer and spirits experts such as Gary

Monterosso and Michael Green and

Caesars Entertainment’s top in-house

culinary talents. The festival will offer

local and visiting gourmands access to

more than 30 events such as cooking

demonstrations, wine and spirits sem-

inars, and casual tasting events. This

year Caesars Entertainment has part-

nered with local charity, The Commu-

nity Food Bank of New Jersey, to be the

official charity sponsor of The Atlantic

City Food and Wine Festival. The com-

munity Food Bank of New Jersey fights

hunger and poverty by distributing

food and groceries, providing educa-

tion and training and developing new

programs to help low income indi-

viduals meet their basic needs. As a

non-profit organization, The Commu-

nity Food Bank of New Jersey acts as

the central food distribution center for

other non-profits in New Jersey that

serve individuals including local soup

kitchens, food pantries and shelters.

Paula Deen Joins Celebrity Chefs To Host The Fourth Annual Atlantic City Food And Wine FestivalCaesars Entertainment Atlantic City is proud to welcome back America’s favorite Southern Belle, Paula Deen to the Fourth

Annual Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival, commencing Thursday, July 26, with events throughout the weekend.

// NEWS EVENTS

Ms. Deen joins arguably one of the strongest lineups to date, including Anne Burrell, Tyler Florence, Nadia G, Robert Irvine, Buddy Valastro and Andrew Zimmern.

34 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

The Tri-State Food Expo

is the latest addition to

the organizer’s growing

portfolio of leading U.S.

based trade events serv-

ing the domestic and international

retail and foodservice markets; the

New England Food Show (Boston,

MA); the International Boston Sea-

food Show (Boston, MA); and Kosher-

fest (Secaucus, NJ).

“This two day event will deliver

highly qualified buyers while ad-

dressing budget, travel and time

constraints facing today’s retail and

foodservice professionals,” said Bob

Callahan, Show Director for the Tri-

State Food Expo. “We hear every day

from visitors and exhibitors about

their cost and time challenges while

participating in tradeshows. Tri-State

Food Expo solves this problem,” Cal-

lahan said. Tri-State Food Expo will

focus on new and innovative prod-

ucts for the growing retail and food-

service market in the Tri-State region,

with exhibits and live culinary and

product demonstrations throughout

each day of the show.

The event will be open only to

qualified buyers, influencers and de-

cision makers; “All attendees will be

pre-screened and will need to meet

qualification standards to be granted

admittance to the event,” said Mr.

Callahan.

New Trade Event To Serve NYC And Beyond Tri-State Food ExpoDiversified Business Communications (Diversified) announced last month the launch of Tri-State Food Expo, a trade-only event, to be

held at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, April 14-15, 2013.

// NEWS EVENTS

continued on page 85

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36 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Where did the idea for YES Pack come from?Our goal with YES Pack was to create

a game-changing dressings package

designed to deliver unprecedented

yield, superior ease, and improved

sustainability. The YES Pack has been

thoroughly researched and tested

and is designed to help operators

manage costs and optimize back-of-

house efficiencies.

The innovative packaging will help

operators easily squeeze out up to

99% of the dressing inside and avoid

the messy jug scraping that is com-

mon with traditional one-gallon jugs.

Top and bottom handles on the pack-

age provide faster and more accurate

pouring, with reduced spillage.

How will YES Pack make the Metro New York operator more efficient?

YES Pack becomes particularly valu-

able as menus have evolved. Many

of our operator customers use our

dressings for everything from sand-

wich toppings to dips. So there's a

need to eliminate the waste of pour-

ing the dressings into small contain-

ers like ramekins. YES Pack has cre-

ated a solution that flows right to our

operator's bottom line.

What is the range of flavors avail-able in YES Pack?

YES Pack offers many of the Kraft

flavors that have become the corner-

stone of so many operator menus.

These include, Ranch, Thousand Is-

land, Blue Cheese, Golden Italian,

Honey Dijon, Creamy Caesar, Cata-

lina, and EVOO Balsamic Vinaigrette.

How can the Tri-State distributor sales rep benefit from the new line?Distributors and their sales staff love

the new packaging. They don't have

to worry about opening a case and

having to split it and then wonder if

they would be able to sell the rest of

the case.

Is there a "green/sustainable" story to be told with YES Pack?In addition, the unique eco-friendly

design can reduce solid waste and

costs associated with waste removal.

If YES pack is not recycled, it is 50%

less waste in a landfill when com-

pared to the traditional rigid gallon

jug.

Are there other Kraft products in ad-dition to salad dressing that will be rolled out? Is the line price competi-tive?

Stacey Rychlewski, Business ManagerKRAFT Foods in Glenview, IllinoisStacey Rychlewski of Kraft Foods discusses the innovative packaging features of the YES Pack from KRAFT and all the different ways it

has helped foodservice operators run their businesses.

// MARKETING INSIDER

So there's a need to eliminate the waste of

pouring the dressings into small containers like

ramekins. YES Pack has created a solution that

flows right to our operator's bottom line.

Stacey Rychlewski, Business Manager of KRAFT Foods.

continued on 85

37 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

38 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Developed by Paw-

tucket, Rhode Is-

land-based Morris

Nathanson Design

at the request of 20-

year Johnny Rockets franchise vet-

eran Lloyd Sugarman, the new design

prototype affords company develop-

ers and franchise partners a variety

of exciting, cost-effective package

options when constructing a new

restaurant or renovating an existing

location. Components of the design

prototype were unveiled at the John-

ny Rockets restaurant that opened at

historic South Street Seaport in New

York City.

The overarching design framework

is fresh and modern, allowing for cus-

tomization and modification of ma-

terials to fit specific cost parameters.

Within that framework are a variety

of new design option packages that

represent hybrid crosses between the

two ends of the spectrum: the com-

pany’s classic Johnny Rockets design

and the new, more contemporary

look. Distinctive architectural nuanc-

es keep the design prototype current

while reflecting the company’s rich,

guest-centric heritage.

To add visual interest and comfort,

there are colorful neon signs; pop art-

inspired decorative disks that show-

case Johnny Rockets’ signature ham-

burgers, fries, and shakes; two-toned

red and ivory sleek vinyl upholstery;

ceiling cove lights with chrome va-

lances; spoke lighting with up-and-

down shades; and recessed down

lighting.

Durable, functional materials and

finishes include white subway tile be-

hind the open cooking area, Corian

countertops and counter edge detail,

mosaic tile floors, and light and dark

wood laminate.

“We’re thrilled to have created a full

complement of new design options

for our franchise partners and prop-

erty owners,” says Cris Pangan, vice

president of development for John-

ny Rockets. “We kept elements that

our guests readily identify with our

brand, while adding interesting, eye-

catching nuances that continue our

company’s momentum. The designs

balance what is unique and timeless

about Johnny Rockets with a fresh,

contemporary new look.”

“All the elements were carefully

coordinated to be playful, impactful

and durable,” says Josh Nathanson,

Morris Nathanson Design senior de-

signer. “The beauty of this prototype

is that the various package options

work as easily when retrofitting exist-

ing sites as they do when fitting into

new sites. And because the options

can be customized to accommodate

individual landlord requirements,

they’re well-suited to both inline mall

locations and stand-alone units.”

Select architectural elements were

also incorporated at locations at The

Banks, Ohio; Melrose Avenue, Cali-

fornia; and Cannery Row, California,

as well as at restaurants at Thayer

Street, Rhode Island; Burlington Mall,

Massachusetts; and–most true to its

initial rendering–at Providence Place,

Rhode Island. The new Opry Mills,

Tennessee, restaurant slated to open

this summer will also reflect this new

look.

Nathanson Unveils New Johnny Rockets Prototype In Lower ManhattanTrendy, yet timeless. Johnny Rockets’ new design prototype embraces what has made the iconic restaurant chain a favorite

dining destination for more than 25 years, while adding architectural nuances to keep it modern and relevant.

// NEWS RESTAURANTS

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40 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

He will continue to report

to Nigel Travis, Dunkin'

Brands CEO and Dunkin'

Donuts President, U.S.,

and oversee the compa-

ny's strategy, finance, global supply

chain and information technology

functions. Paul Carbone, formerly

Dunkin' Brands Vice President, Fi-

nance and Strategy, is being promot-

ed to Chief Financial Officer. He will

continue to report to Mr. Moses and

will be responsible for the company's

finance, investor relations and loss

prevention functions.

“These moves recognize Neil's and

Paul's incredible contributions to the

success of Dunkin' Brands, including

the successful launch of our IPO last

summer,” said Nigel Travis, Dunkin'

Brands CEO and Dunkin' Donuts

President, U.S. “This also further so-

lidifies our world-class management

team and positions us well as for the

future.”

Mr. Moses joined Dunkin' Brands

in November 2010. He had previously

served as Executive Vice President,

Chief Financial Officer of Paramet-

ric Technology Corporation (PTC), a

Massachusetts-based software com-

pany. Prior to that position, Mr. Mo-

ses served as the CFO for a variety of

companies in the technology and re-

tail sectors.

Before joining Dunkin' Brands

New Duo Tabbed To Guide Tri-State Dunkin’ GrowthDunkin' Brands Group, Inc. announced last month that Neil Moses, formerly Dunkin' Brands Chief Financial Officer, is being

named Chief Global Strategy Officer in recognition of his increasing focus on driving the Company's strategic initiatives.

// NEWS

continued on page 74

LEADERSHIP

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The first school is sched-

uled to open in St. Pe-

tersburg in September

2012 and a second loca-

tion in Moscow during

2013. The third partner in the SWIS-

SAM venture is IMI, a hospitality col-

lege based based in Lucerne, Swit-

zerland.

Dve Palochki which operates over

35 pan-Asian eateries in Russia be-

lieves that the culinary and hospital-

ity education market is underdevel-

oped in their country. The SWISSAM

schools are designed to address that

need through training students us-

ing curriculum from ICE for careers

anywhere in the world, from hotels

and resorts, to high-end restaurants,

caterers and cruise ships.

ICE CEO, Rick Smilow and Richard

Simpson, director of education at

ICE traveled to St. Petersburg in May

for a press conference to announce

SWISSAM’s formation. After the trip

Smilow commented, "ICE’s curricu-

lum provides a solid foundation and

a global approach to cuisine. It is a

fascinating new example of global-

ization that Russian entrepreneurs

have sought out a culinary school

NYC'S Institute Of Culinary Education Collaborates To Open Culinary Schools In Russia

The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) in New York City announces a co-venture with Russian-based Dve Palochki

restaurant group to open a series of culinary schools under the name SWISSAM Hospitality Business School.

// NEWS CULINARY EDUCATION

Rick Smilow, CEO of ICE was warmly welcomed in Russia

ICE's Richard Simpson outlined the new St. Petersburg curriculum

ICE wil bring its comprehensive Educa-tion Initiative to Russian Entrepreneurs

ICE’s curriculum provides a solid

foundation and a global approach

to cuisine. It is a fascinating new

example of globalization that Russian

entrepreneurs have sought out a culinary

school in New York City for direction,

inspiration and affiliation.

43 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

in New York City for direction, in-

spiration and affiliation.” SWISSAM

will offer a range of program lengths

equivalent to U.S. diploma and de-

gree programs.

Three of ICE’s diploma programs,

Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts

and Culinary Management will be

incorporated into SWISSAM’S cur-

riculum. In each program, the stu-

dent will secure a broad base of

knowledge and kitchen skills so they

will be immediately employable in

a wide range of culinary operations

around the world. According to Wal-

ter Paltenstein, president of SWIS-

SAM, “We are thrilled to collaborate

with ICE as the premier culinary ed-

ucation partner to provide Russian

students the best culinary skills and

job placement opportunities in the

competitive, global market.”

To learn more about the curricu-

lum at ICE, please visit www.ice-

culinary.com. To see what’s cooking

around the school read our blog,

DICED, at blog.iceculinary.com, like

us on Facebook (iceculinary) or fol-

low us on Twitter (@ICE Culinary).

The Institute of Culinary Educa-

tion (ICE) is New York City’s award-

winning center for culinary educa-

tion. Founded in 1975, the school

offers highly regarded 8 to 13 month

career training programs in Culinary

Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Culinary

Management and Hospitality Man-

agement. ICE also runs one of the

largest schedules of recreational

cooking courses in the nation. In

2008, ICE was named the Interna-

tional Association of Culinary Pro-

fessionals' Culinary School of the

Year and is a past winner of the ACC-

SCT’s School of Distinction honor.

More information can be found at

www.iceculinary.com. The school is

located at 50 W. 23rd St. in Manhat-

tan.

Three of ICE’s diploma programs, Culinary

Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts and Culinary

Management will be incorporated into

SWISSAM’S curriculum.

44 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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46 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

W hat led to the choice of Yankee Stadium as the venue for your show?

When selecting locations for our food

show, we look to be different from the

rest of the industry. We do not like the

feel of a massive hall, we look for a lo-

cation with character and personality.

Our past location, was a beautiful club

on the water, which we loved. As Ace

Endico has grown over the years, it just

became too small to handle the vol-

ume of customers and vendors. After

much discussion, we chose a location

of prestige, and greatness The "New"

Yankee Stadium. What a venue… In

our eyes we chose a venue to be proud

of.

The Yankees have set the bar very high in terms of success. How does that af-filiation help the Ace Endico brand?The NY Yankee's (Legends) Foodser-

vice is one of Ace Endico's premier

customers, and personal friends to

the "Ace Endico family." Therefore,

we have an amazing working relation-

ship. Just as we go to work for "The NY

Yankee's (Legends), they went to "Bat"

for Ace Endico to make our event a

"Grand Slam!"

What were some of the highlights of

this year's show for attendees?This year at our Show we had over 200

vendor booths offering special pric-

ing, new and exciting food demon-

strations, Legends Chefs with unique

menu ideas, player appearances: Tino

Martinez, David Cone and Bernie Wil-

liams, all seven of the World Series

Trophies to be photographed with,

Dug out and Monument Park Tours.

What role does your show play in terms of your relationships with your customers?Our show is not an ordinary food

show, it is more like a "Customer Ap-

preciation Day!" We want to show our

loyal customers just how grateful we

are for all their business and support

over the years!

What trends does Ace Endico see in terms of what’s on New York area menus?Buratta Cheese is a huge trend on

most menus. Burrata is a fresh Ital-

ian cheese, made from mozzarel-

la and cream. The outer shell is solid

mozzarella while the inside contains

both mozzarella and cream, giving

it an unusual, soft texture. It is also

defined by some sources as an outer

shell of mozzarella filled with butter or

a mixture of butter and sugar. It is usu-

ally served fresh, at room temperature.

The name "burrata" means "buttered"

in Italian.

With your acquisition and expansion last year, you have become a force in the local pizza industry. What ideas did the show have for the local pizze-ria operator? The Ace Endico food show gave these

newer customers in the pizzeria in-Yankee great Tino Martinez welcomed fans and attendees to the show

Michael Endico with Yankee legend Bernie Williams

Laura Endico-Verzello, Marketing Manager, Ace Endico

Laura Endico-Verzello, Marketing Manager at Ace Endico sat down with TFS to talk

about the many happenings at this year's Ace Endico show at Yankee Stadium.

// SHOW COVERAGE

Ace Endico's own Michael Endico with son Michael John Endico, Matt Hertzberg, William Endico, Murray Hertzberg, and Laura Endico-Verzello

ACE ENDICO

continued on 48

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Admiration Foods' Beverly Barcelona introduce new items at this years' show

Yankee Stadium and Ace Endico teamed up to create a truly unique show

New York Yankees VP of Corporate sales Michael Tusiani with William Endico

Casa DiLisio's Linda DiLisio with Total Food's own Michael Scinto

Heinz's Craig Hayner with son Evan welcomed guests

Harbar's John Babineau with Key Im-pact's operator specialist Tara Palaima

Hood's National sales manager, Robert Fraska with Infusion Sales Groups' Christopher Healey

The show couldn't have been possible without the incredibly talented Ace Endico staff

dustry, a true sense of who Ace Endico

is, and what an extensive product line

we have. They now know, that Ace En-

dico is more than flour, tomatoes and

cheese.

For the sales professional, what makes a career at Ace Endico special?Unlimited earning potential. Tremen-

dous support systems. A breadth of

product lines that enable any rep to

approach and sell any market seg-

ment. A caring family-run, Indepen-

dent operation.

What lies ahead for Ace Endico in your goal to continue to provide the most value for your customers?Ace Endico's state-of-the-art, newly

expanded facility enables us to give

our customers value and quality. We

have ample storage; dry, refrigerator

and freezer space. Eleven tempera-

ture zones for optimum freshness.

This new addition enables our Ace En-

dico purchasing department, to make

smart buys and continue to source out

new products from around the world.

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Montauk is known

amongst the select and

discerning mavens as

the perfect getaway for

its spectacular scenery, sandy dune

beaches, laid back vibes, world-class

fishing, surfing,biking, golf, and sail-

ing. And now Montauk has a bou-

tique hotel.

"Our food and beverage operation

is crucial to the lavish without the at-

titude guest experience that we pro-

vide," noted the hotel's managing

partner David Ceva. "We know that

with Bar Boy Products, they under-

stand our vision for the property."

Ceva's goal was to revitalize an old

Montauk motel that dates back to

the 20's and create a unique Hamp-

ton's experience. "We feel that we

have created a hidden gem," Ceva

said Solé East Resort is housed in

a landmark American Tudor build-

ing with 60 renovated bungalow-like

Hip Montauk Operator Solé East Turns To Bar Boy Products For Foodservice SolutionsSolé East Resort and Solé East Beach are located in Montauk, New York, on the eastern-most tip of Long Island, in the Hamptons.

// NEWS

51 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

rooms, each one unique, and seven

garden cabana suites. A heated pool

with oversized St Tropez style beds

keeps guests cool while being ser-

anaded to tunes being spun by the

poolside DJ. Lush lawns and gardens

with bamboo walkways complete

the beach club feel.

Funny, most of our guests come

here ready to go to the beach but

when they start at the pool, they

never leave. When you combine that

with a world class restaurant that

features "market fresh" foods, they

never leave the property. To indulge

the hotel guest's gastronomic palette

there is the hip yet healthy Backyard

Restaurant at Solé East, a full service

restaurant bar & poolside lounge.

"We go to the local docks and pick

out the fish for the day and then

head for the local markets for local

produce from the North Fork. Our

menu goal is to not overcomplicate

things. We simply grill the fish and

the meats and garnish with herbs

from our gardens. By finishing with

olive oils, the menu has a mediterra-

nean flair to it," said executive chef

Larry Kolar. The former Manhattan

chef brought noted tenure at both

the Quilted Giraffe and Sign of the

Dove to Montauk.

"Our goal was to provide Solé East

with a kitchen design and equipment

package that would maximize menu

flexibility," added Bar Boy Product's

Peter Giannizzero. "So we typically

begin with providing firepower from

burners and flattops. Then we add

the bells and whistles to make sure

customers like Solé East have the

capacity they need to match qual-

ity and volume." Most recently, we

added a couple of convection ovens

to their kitchen to enable them to

tweak the menus.

"With all of the focus on Farm-to-

table on the Island, we needed to

make certain that our initial equip-

ment package gave Solé East more

than enough walk-in capacity," Gi-

annizzero continued. "Many of our

clients know that with our expertise

that they are going to get a kitchen

equipment package that can easily

meet or exceed the expectations of

the local health inspectors."

Solé East Beach, the 26-room mo-

tel in the heart of the Village of Mon-

tauk, is located 50 ft from a path

that runs through the dunes to the

ocean and beach. This gem, built in

the early 70’s, is a cool and modest

place. The rooms at Solé East Beach

retain some of their unique 1970’s

vibe, with the perfect touch of up-

dated renovations and stylish décor

and superior amenities right where

guests need them. On the beds and

in the bath, guests find luxuriously

soft linens, towels, and superb bath

products. Flat-screen TV’s and com-

plimentary WiFi round it all out. This

is as authentic cool as a beach place

can get.

Ownership is also currently in-

volved in the much anticipated

transformation of the legendary

Ronjo Resort Hotel into what will be

known as The Montauk Beach House.

The Bar Boy Product's Team is once

again coordinating the design and

build of the kitchen facilities.

The hotel's Backyard Restaurant at Solé East features the very freshest local offerings

Poolside at Solé East is a haven for guests to relax through the summer season

Owner David Ceva has transformed a legendary '20's hotel into a contem-porary landmark

Bar Boy Products' Hampton's Bay team assures the freshness of Chef Larry Kolar's menus

We go to the local docks and pick out the

fish for the day and then head for the local

markets for local produce from the North

Fork. Our menu goal is to not overcomplicate

things. We simply grill the fish and the meats

and garnish with herbs from our gardens.

By finishing with olive oils, the menu has a

mediterranean flair to it.

52 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

The OwnerKristin Franzese,

Executive Vice President-Retail

Actually, we had planned on open-

ing The Plaza food Hall even from the

first developments of the Todd Eng-

lish Food Hall. We had envisioned this

concept years ago, and brought Todd

on to open his food hall in 2010. In

November of 2011, we expanded the

Todd English space to incorporate a

pasta bar, seasonal station, sommeli-

er station and additional retail space.

The success of the Todd English Food

Hall has been overwhelming, and it

made us that much more excited to

realize our vision for The Plaza Food

Hall. People want variety, and both

The Plaza Food Hall and Todd English

Food Hall offer something for every-

one, in two different experiences.

We made a “wish list” of all of the

brands we wanted to incorporate into

The Plaza Food Hall, and I am happy

to say that many of the businesses on

that original list are at The Plaza Food

Hall today. We started reaching out to

potential new tenants and they were

all extremely receptive and really

understood our vision for the Food

Hall. In the end, we wanted a diverse

amount of offerings and I think that

we’ve achieved that with our mix of

New York classic businesses such as

William Greenberg and Three Tarts,

and newer, but equally loved offer-

ings such as No. 7 Sub and Luke’s Lob-

ster. Jeffrey Beers and I were partners

throughout the whole experience. He

really brought this idea of a street-

scape indoors to life with his brilliant

designs, and managed to incorporate

elements of the Plaza Hotel into the

design of the Food Hall.

It was really important to us to work

with the individual tenants to de-

sign a space that fit in with the Plaza

aesthetic, but didn’t lose the differ-

ent brand identities. To achieve this,

Jeffrey and I visited all of the ven-

dors’ existing stores to get a feel for

how they designed their own spaces.

For example, we wanted to preserve

Luke’s Lobster’s rustic sensibility, but

in a more refined way. The Beers team

used distressed metal panels and

earthy, blue tiles in the shop’s space

to achieve this.

The Plaza is the first hotel to do any-

thing like this, and it really makes the

Hotel more accessible to the public.

The Plaza Food Hall provides an ex-

tremely curated selection of some of

New York’s most popular food brands,

and has options whether someone

would like to sit down and have a full

service dining experience at the Todd

English Food Hall, grab a sandwich

from No. 7, sushi from Sushi of Gari

or a cupcake from Billy’s and enjoy

it in front of the living wall, or grab

something and enjoy it in Central

Park across the street. The Plaza Food

Hall provides people with amazing

selection, and appeals to both New

Yorkers and tourists alike.

The Plaza Hotel Food Hall Expansion New York, NY

// BLUEPRINT INVESTIGATING THE METRO AREA'S HOTTEST KITCHEN PROJECTS

Interior DesignerJeffrey Beers, President

Jeffrey Beers International

New York, NY Jeffrey Beers

The Display Case/Millwork ManufacturerPJ Gavin, Vice President-Sales

RPI Industries in Medford, NJ

The OwnerKristin Franzese,

Executive Vice President-Retail

The Plaza Hotel in NY, NY

continued on 54

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54 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Interior DesignerJeffrey Beers, President

What makes this project so reward-

ing is that the space was originally

projected to be retail shopping. It

wasn't until retail struggled and the

hotel partnered with Todd English,

that the Food Hall concept came to

be. The first time I met with Elad who

owns the hotel, I knew it was meant

to be. With that has come one of the

city's true success stories, which we

are so proud to be a part of. With the

expansion of the space, we have now

doubled the size of the Food Hall and

taken over the entire basement space.

The environment to me was all about

a sense of a plaza. I looked very much

to Europe for a feel of classic archi-

tecture. The goal was to be a timeless

classic in a modern way. Obviously

this isn't the first food hall that's ever

been done so there are elements from

the grand spaces in Europe. These in-

clude the Galleria in Milan, the food

halls in Paris and the big department

store Harrods in London.

The challenge from the very begin-

ning was to take a basement space

that has no windows and create an

environment with the proper light to

make the guest experience special.

We created a very large artificial sky-

light to create a refreshing illusion. It

succeeded and takes the mind of the

guest off of being in a basement. The

guest’s perception is that like in the

hotel's Palm Court upstairs that there

may actually be a courtyard above. It

is a very effective device that we

started with our original Todd English

Food Hall. He created that skylight,

and then we just continued to follow

suit with it. We added coffers at differ-

ent varying heights within the ceiling,

so that we could anchor a pendant, a

chandelier and a light fixture. So the

sculpting of the interior of space from

a proportion standpoint is very im-

portant. A critical piece of that plan is

the use of lighting. Whether or not you

have lighting to work with, you have

to decide how to dispense it accord-

ingly. Some of those features include

the spectacular mosaic marble floor-

ing. We took that intricate designing

to another level with the intertwined

circles in the floors that are a nod to

the Plaza's legendary logo. The next

element we needed to select was the

woodwork and how we would accent

it. We used white oak throughout the

new phase of the project and blend-

ed that with patina mirrors. We then

worked with PJ Gavin and his team

at RPI to execute the plan with the

cases in each of the kiosks. For ex-

ample rather than a traditional bar

stool, we have to keep in mind that

the challenge for us was to juggle de-

signs for the 22 different brands and

their kiosks that they can co-habitat

the space. We wanted them all to

live and grow properly together and

to create an overall impression that

there is harmony in a well-choreo-

graphed environment. Our approach

to the furniture is follow our classic

inspiration with a touch of updated

timelessness so we created coun-

ter stools made from Italian leather.

We complimented the seating with

tables that are classic Carrera mar-

ble. We also turned to Europe for in-

spiration with the table bases, which

were created with an ironwork base

and blackened steel. It's widely used

throughout Europe but also here and

iron, blackened steel.

The ironwork base, that we devel-

oped with all sorts of details, are the

entire basis for the tables and the case

goods. Our role and challenge with

tabletop was slightly different. Each

of the individual 22 operators was

free to select their own glass, china

and flatware. We served as the editor

if you will. That enabled us to merge

common elements and get the same

feel throughout. What is fascinat-

ing to me about a food hall is that in

many ways it is like putting together

the perfect dinner party. You're trying

to figure out the ambiance in which

this event should take place. At the

same time to you need to be working

on multiple levels. The first step in

that is of course whom you are going

to invite and then the seating chart

based on who you think should be

sitting together. I couldn't have done

this without the spectacular work

done by my associates Nora Kantor

and Karen Urosky.

So at the Plaza, we have the same

challenge, there has to be some har-

mony in deciding that Lady M would

get along with Luke's Lobster and

that Sushi by Gary could be next to La

Maison du Chocolat. It also reminds

me of a private nightclub because

I've designed so many of them in my

career. It’s all about social dynam-

ics. Who gets in? Who gets access to

the VIP areas? That thought process

was crucial because I wanted each

of the operators to have space with a

very strong individuality. At the same

time, we balanced which operators

should be in front of the escalators as

our guests entered the Food Hall. So

on the main entrance from the hotel

on 58th Street, we selected William

Greenberg Desserts. Their space has

a very strong look with their signature

red lamps. Lady M with a much dain-

tier feel is on the other side entrance.

The Display Case ManufacturerPJ Gavin, Vice President-Sales

The challenge for us was dealing with

a variety of different woods, thick-

nesses and grains. The key for us is

the level of expertise and knowledge

from my engineers and estimators

and project managers before they

even draw the job. Our goal is to sup-

port Jeffrey Beers and the Plaza team

to bring concept to a reality. Jeffrey

Beers does an awesome job of creat-

ing a beautiful rendering show piece

quality picture of what this thing is

going to look like and says; "Here is

my vision." How can I make this vi-

sion work and there is a whole bunch

of these different materials so we

step in and say we know a lot of these

materials. We worked with the Plaza

team before so with our history and

our experience, we understand the

dos and don’ts of how to work with

many of these materials. For us the

first stop is to create a shop draw-

ing. The goal of that step is to go back

to Jeffrey with the message: We see

your vision and here's how we want

to articulate your vision in a build. At

the same time, we need to be budget

sensitive given the different materials

that the Plaza wanted to include in

the project.

Our engineering expertise and our

plant's automated equipment gives

us a tremendous advantage in deliv-

ering quality within our client's bud-

gets. Our company also has a value

added advantage with our team of

master cabinet builders who can work

with both woods and stainless. The fi-

nal piece of the puzzle is to execute a

rather complicated installation. With

a project like the Plaza, you don't just

ship and plug the cases in. You don't

ship this stuff and then hope that

someone locally can install it.

It's a complicated installation. We

have our in-house team of install pro-

fessionals who staged the installation

over several weeks. A big key to our

success at the Plaza was the ability to

work with true professionals. When

you are part of a team that includes

a great contractor, architect and in-

terior designer and a client that gets

it, it follows that the project would

be successful. We have talented re-

frigeration engineering on our team.

It’s crucial when you are dealing with

cases that have a variety of refrig-

eration capacities. The needs for a

chocolate case are far different from

what's needed for sushi. You need

to be able to spec the right size coils

with the correct compressor and then

work with the millwork spec. This en-

ables you to create the right footprint

for the cases. What I'm most proud of

is that at the Plaza, we once again got

the opportunity to create high quality

engineered and refrigerated design

that is unique. We are consistently

able to give our clients like the Plaza,

the customization that they need to

make projects look like one of a kind

within their budgets.

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What should we be looking for as res-taurant owners in a lender?Believe it or not size is crucial. Size in

this case is the size of the portfolio that

the lender has in the restaurant seg-

ment. Unlike traditional bank lending,

in many cases the size of a lender’s res-

taurant portfolio will often get you the

background you need to get the right

loan. In our case, we are working with-

in a portfolio of $100 in restaurant and

retail loans. The borrower needs to

make certain that group of investors

are/were successful business owners

themselves. I also think it’s important

that anybody who answers the phone

has the ability to approve a deal. They

are the ones building the relationship

and can quickly understand the needs

of the business owner. Having a vest-

ed interest in every deal ensures that

everyone working at our firm makes

sound decisions for the business own-

er.

What about the background of the lender?You need to ask about the lending

team's background. For them to un-

derstand your needs, they need to

have owned or operated their own

restaurant and retail store. As you

know, not only is this relationship

about money, it really comes down to

lender and borrower understanding

the competitive environment you live

in.

Do you take seasonality into consid-

eration?From Vermont to Florida or in Metro

New York it can be the Hamptons or

Jersey Shore; there are many issues

that have to do with both local econo-

mies and seasonality. So an on-going

challenge for us is to build a program

that can sustain the operator through

their off seasons. Our goal with a sea-

sonal operator is to infuse the busi-

ness with cash just before they open

for their season, so that they are ready

to go.

What are you listening for when you are making a decision to lend?Resiliency! In many cases the op-

erator who survived the challenging

economic times, has a true under-

standing of what it takes to succeed.

For example, we had a restaurant in

Virginia that had a large pizza delivery

business. The highway crew began to

tear up the road three months after

opening. They had all kinds of sales

volume issues and we went in and re-

structured the deal to make it work. It

kept the restaurateur going, nurtured

him across the finish line and today he

is very successful.

What's the right amount for a restau-rant to borrow?Great question! We look to create a

funding threshold that enables the

operator to move the needle forward

without choking. We then back into

the right amount by understanding

that if 15% goes to occupancy costs,

40% to cost of goods and 30% payroll,

30% daily remit of sales just isn't work-

able.

What are the pros and cons of the merchant advance type of funding that is out there?It’s interesting; everybody on our team

has had experience as a restaurant

or retail operator with a merchant

cash advance. Much of the feedback

about their experience was negative.

I had each of them finish the follow-

ing sentence for me: “The merchant

cash advance would have been bet-

ter if ________." So for us that experi-

ence helped us create a plan of action

to make the overall cost of the money

less prohibitive for the restaurateur.

We recognize that owning a success-

ful restaurant requires creativity, mar-

ketability and flexibility. In order for

Discount Merchant Funding to be

successful in providing capital to res-

taurants, our funding model had to be

all three as well. Finally, you need to

keep in mind that the merchant cash

advance business is all about the sales

person getting paid a commission so

the typical merchant cash advance

company/broker is looking to fund as

much money as possible because they

are commission driven. So chances

are, you are not borrowing the right

amount.

What are some of the most effective ways that you like to see the funds you lend utilized?

Equipment eventually needs to be

replaced, consistent advertising is

needed, updated signage is a must

and inventory always needs to be re-

placed. We understand how the indus-

try works. Without going into detailed

specifics, our business model allows

for our clients access to capital, as

needed, at a much lower overall cost.

Is there a typical profile for the type of operator that you lend to?Our typical client is made to under-

stand the overall advantage of taking

less money because when the time

arises that they need more money,

we will make it available with much

more business friendly terms. Our

client base is anything but typical; in

the last three months alone we have

funded an extremely successful fran-

chisee, as well as an individual (boat

rental industry) who was days away

from filing for personal and corporate

bankruptcy. In each instance, they

used the money weafforded them to

grow their businesses – not simply pay

bills. The franchisee bought two more

stores and the boat rental entrepre-

neur moved locations andbought new

equipment.

Can't I just shop on-line for a loan?Maybe, I am old-fashioned, but if you

have a question, call me. We make a

majority of our “underwriting” deci-

Restaurant Finance Forum With Bobby Keon Of Discount Merchant Funding

// SPOTLIGHT DISCOUNT MERCHANT FUNDING

continued on page 74

57 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

The sharpened focus on food

takeout and delivery puts

Washington, D.C. in direct

local competition with Chi-

cago-based GrubHub and New York-

based Seamless, both growing startups

that connect consumers with restau-

rants. LivingSocial said its Instant ser-

vice "will be transitioning to the new

ordering service in all of its markets

nationwide."

The Instant service competed head-

on with Chicago-based Groupon's

real-time deals program, Groupon

Now, which offers coupons based on

a consumer's location. Groupon ex-

ecutives have said that revenues from

Groupon Now aren't expected to make

an impact on the company's earn-

ings for some time. Earlier this month,

Groupon Chief Financial Officer Jason

Child described the real-time deals ser-

vice as one where "success is probably

measured in years rather than quarters

because it just takes a lot of sales effort"

to have significant merchant density in

a city.

LivingSocial, for its part, said it be-

lieves applying the real-time deals

model to a broad range of services

doesn't work. "Consumers aren't pull-

ing their phones out to search for the

nearest real-time discount on a car in-

spection or framing service," Greg Ma-

zanec, general manager of LivingSocial

Takeout & Delivery, said. "They are,

however, looking for a faster and better

way to order food from their favorite lo-

cal restaurants."

The program's goal is for consum-

ers to throw away that pile of takeout

menus you've collected over years of

late-night cravings.

The deal site's new Takeout & Deliv-

ery service will put virtual menus for

thousands of restaurants in the hands

of customers across the country. Now,

satisfying your fix for pizza or Chinese

food can be done with the click of a

button.

By going online or using Living So-

cial's mobile app, users enter their city,

indicate "takeout" or "delivery" and

browse restaurant menus that fit what

they're looking for, clicking on items

to select them for order. You can also

search by cuisine type and even indi-

cate what time you'd like to pick up

your food or have it delivered.

"It's about using technology for what

is a slightly more elegant experience

than picking up the phone and call-

ing," Mazanec added.

Mazanec says the new food ser-

vice bypasses what is usually a "pretty

friction-laden experience" that can in-

volve waiting on the phone when a res-

taurant is busy, reciting your credit card

number over the phone and confirm-

ing your address "again and again."

Takeout & Delivery is a further de-

velopment of Living Social's instant

deals service, which lets users search

for deals available in real time, such as

$10 for $15 worth of food at a local res-

taurant as long as you redeem the deal

within three hours. The instant tech-

nology will now be used primarily for

the takeout and delivery service, but

customers also have the option of buy-

ing "dine-in specials" redeemable im-

mediately and for a limited time.

The deal site's new Takeout & Delivery

service will put virtual menus for

thousands of restaurants in the hands of

customers across the country.

LivingSocial Brings New Food Ordering Technology To Metro NY Restaurant CommunityDaily deals company LivingSocial is replacing its Instant deals service with a new food ordering program called Takeout &

Delivery that has launched in New York and 25 other markets.

// NEWS PARTNERSHIPS

58 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Mr. Irving is a co-founder

and fomer vice chair-

man of Sysco Corpo-

ration, a Fortune 500

company that is the

largest marketer and distributor of

food service products in the United

States.

With this new gift, Mr. and Mrs.

Irving have generously committed

nearly $200 million to CUMC and its

partner, NewYork-Presbyterian Hos-

pital/Columbia, of which $177 million

has supported the HICCC and other

cancer-related programs.

This most recent gift from Mr. and

Mrs. Irving highlights one of the most

successful fundraising years in CUMC

history. Fundraising in the current

fiscal year is expected to raise more

than $200 million. This builds on the

continuing success of the CUMC capi-

tal campaign, which has raised more

than $1.8 billion - almost double the

original goal of $1 billion.

“Having people like Herb and Flor-

ence Irving loyally support our Uni-

versity is a great privilege,” said Co-

lumbia University President Lee C.

Bollinger. “As an institution, we are

known in part through the people who

are our friends and partners. And Herb

and Florence stand out as the best of

friends and best of partners in our

commitment to saving lives and find-

ing cures.”

“Columbia University - especially

our Cancer Center is forever indebt-

ed to Herbert and Florence Irving for

their ongoing loyalty and generos-

ity,” said Lee Goldman, MD, dean of

the faculties of health sciences and

medicine at Columbia University Col-

lege of Physicians and Surgeons and

executive vice president for health

and biomedical sciences at Columbia

University Medical Center. “This gift

showcases their unwavering support

and commitment to our medical re-

search. With their continuing support

of our Cancer Center, Mr. and Mrs.

Irving have secured their legacy as

among the nation’s leading supporters

in the fight against cancer.”

The new grant will be used by

HICCC Director Stephen G. Emerson,

MD, PhD, to recruit and retain new

cancer investigators and to support

its current investigators, as well as for

Cancer Center operations. The HICCC

encompasses all cancer-related pre-

clinical and clinical research, preven-

tion, patient care, and education at

Columbia University Medical Center

and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/

Columbia. It is one of only three Na-

tional Institutes of Health–designated

Comprehensive Cancer Centers in

New York State.

“As our investigators work to bring

new advances to cancer patients and

their families—building upon the

highly promising cancer research

discoveries of the past two decades -

this extraordinarily generous support

from Mr. and Mrs. Irving will go a long

way toward expanding our research

enterprise, so that we might develop

new, better ways both to detect cancer

in earlier stages and to treat it in tar-

geted, more efficient ways,” said Dr.

Emerson, who holds the Clyde ’56 and

Helen Wu Professorship in Immunolo-

gy at the Columbia University College

of Physicians and Surgeons.

The series of major gifts from Her-

bert and Florence Irving in support of

CUMC’s research, patient care, and

education mission dates back nearly

three decades, beginning with their

1987 endowment of the Irving Schol-

ars program for young clinical inves-

tigators who are at the beginning of

their careers. The program recently

named its 100th scholar. Their support

has also established the Irving Insti-

tute for Clinical and Translational Re-

search; the Herbert Irving Pavilion, a

clinical building on the NYPH/CUMC

campus; and the Irving Cancer Re-

search Center, a 300,000-square-foot

cancer research and education facility.

The Herbert Irving Comprehensive

Cancer Center (HICCC) of Columbia

University and NewYork-Presbyterian

Hospital is dedicated to the cure of

cancer through innovative basic, clini-

cal and population-based research

and outstanding patient care. HICCC

researchers and physicians are dedi-

cated to understanding the biology

of cancer and to applying that knowl-

edge to the design of cancer therapies

and prevention strategies that reduce

its incidence and progression and im-

prove the quality of the lives of those

affected by cancer.

Initially funded by the National

Cancer Institute (NCI) in 1972 and

designated comprehensive in 1979,

the HICCC is one of 41 NCI-designat-

ed comprehensive cancer centers in

the United States, of which only three

are in New York State.

// NEWS CHARITY

Sysco Founder Irving Makes $40 Million Donation To NYC’s Columbia University To Battle CancerHerbert and Florence Irving, Columbia University Medical Center’s leading benefactors, have given an additional $40 million to

support Columbia’s Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC).

Their support has also established the Irving

Institute for Clinical and Translational Research;

the Herbert Irving Pavilion, a clinical building on

the NYPH/CUMC campus; and the Irving Cancer

Research Center, a 300,000-square-foot cancer

research and education facility.

59 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

60 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

An award winning and

widely respected veteran

journalist, Mitch spent the

past 29 years covering the

foodservice industry, using his vast

knowledge and sharp communication

skills to influence countless members

of this community. He will be missed

and fondly remembered as an indus-

try pundit, trends visionary and au-

thority on marketing and strategic

planning.

Considered a dedicated, loyal friend,

Mitch's contagious laugh could fill a

room and brighten a conversation.

His friends and colleagues appreci-

ated his generosity and courageous

spirit. He wouldn't hesitate to assist

others who needed help wordsmith-

ing speeches and letters and develop-

ing strategic plans and proposals. He

welcomed these requests, which gave

him an opportunity to share his far-

ranging expertise and helping others

succeed in their pursuits. His patience

for teaching and encouragement of

others never ceased.

Mitch started in the foodservice in-

dustry as an associate editor with Food

Management in 1983. After leaving

Food Management as senior editor,

he formed PROSERVICE, a firm sup-

plying design, editorial and other con-

tent-related services to foodservice

clients. From 1998 through 2004 Mitch

served as editor in chief of Foodser-

vice Equipment & Supplies Magazine.

In 2007, he joined forces with Bill Pa-

gano to form Axis M Inc., a foodservice

equipment marketing firm.

In addition, Mitch co-wrote "Food-

serviceManagement: An Adminis-

trator's Guide," published by John

Wiley & Co. (December 1994) and

"The Complete Guide To Operating

Foodservices In Cultural Institutions"

(John Wiley, October 2001). He was

also a contributing writer and editor

to many industry publications, in-

cluding FCSI’s The Consultant.

Mitch was the co-winner of a 1999

Cahners Gold Medal of Excellence

award, four ASBPE regional and na-

tional honors and two Jesse E. Neal

Awards for Editorial Excellence.

An active and committed philan-

thropist, Mitch contributed in many

capacities to anti-hunger efforts and

other causes.

He is survived by his parents, Sey-

mour and Helene, his brother Joseph,

sister-in-law Paula, their children and

Mitch’s nephews, Alexander and Mat-

thew, and a close, extended, loving

family.

Memorial donations may be made

to Feeding America (was Second Har-

vest) at www.feedingamerica.org or a

charity of your choice.

// NEWS

Visionary Foodservice Journalist Mitchell Schechter Passes AwayIt is with much sadness that we report the unexpected passing of Mitchell E. Schechter, president, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The

Schechter Report and Newz-Zoom newsletter, on June 20. The cause of death was heart failure. He was 60 years old.

Mitch was the co-winner of a 1999 Cahners

Gold Medal of Excellence award, four ASBPE

regional and national honors and two Jesse E.

Neal Awards for Editorial Excellence.

An award winning and widely respect-ed veteran journalist, Mitch spent the past 29 years covering the foodser-vice industry.

61 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

62 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

"The fund will invest and part-

ner with creative chefs and

restaurant entrepreneurs,

who would likely be unable to source

traditional financing to grow their con-

cepts," noted CEO Dennis Riese.

Riese Executive Vice-President Joe De

Nardo will manage the firm’s new equity

initiatives. "Having come through the

ranks at The Riese Organization, I have

been blessed to develop a unique under-

standing of what it takes for a chef/entre-

preneur to take the next step," De Nardo

explained. The veteran executive brings

a wealth of knowledge of the needs of the

restaurateur having risen through the

ranks from waiter to top executive.

"We still see a stagnant economy with

significant challenges ahead. So to think

that banks who have never been a good

source of lending for the restaurant in-

dustry in good or bad times will sud-

denly open their doors is unrealistic,"

Riese says. "Restaurants have the high-

est mortality rate of any industry; that

in a nutshell is why banks are reluctant

to lend. Also, whatever assets are pur-

chased for the business, are immediately

devalued by up to 90% the day the res-

taurant opens, so a bank has little or no

collateral."

Known for its nationally recog-

nized restaurant brands including

T.G.I.Friday's, Pizza Hut, and Tads Steaks

and prime real estate holdings, the Ri-

ese Organization has started the fund

to maximize the potential of its finan-

cial strength. It plans joint ventures with

small chains and single-unit owners,

providing management guidance and

support and sharing its purchasing and

marketing capabilities to promising res-

taurant partners.

Investments would range from

$500,000 to $5 million. "Our goal is to

look at a wide range of projects. Because

of Riese's experience in both areas, this

could include both franchised and non-

franchised scenarios." Our preference is

non-franchised because although they

generally require more work, they have a

greater upside," Riese said.

"Riese Capital is in a good position to

nurture creative but financially limited

operators while providing attractive in-

vestment opportunities and significant

potential returns to our company," Riese

says. "With our track record, we know

what works in the restaurant business

better than less specialized financial in-

stitutions. We know a good idea when we

see it."

Riese Capital also brings a unique ele-

ment to the potential partners in which

they will invest. "Whether a single res-

taurant or small chain, we bring a num-

ber of tools from our restaurants that we

own and operate. These include buying

power, for food equipment and supplies

but also feature such other strengths as

centralized systems for procurement

and accounting, and in house capabili-

ties including legal and maintenance."

In its 70-year history, the Riese Or-

ganization has achieved a dominant

position in the real estate and foodser-

vice industries. It has exclusive access

to prime locations in New York City, as

well as some of the world's most popu-

lar restaurant concepts. Additionally, the

Riese Organization has real estate hold-

ings that include prominent New York

City addresses in midtown on Lexington

Avenue, in the Rockefeller Center area on

5th Avenue, downtown in the Wall Street

area, and in the heart of Times Square.

The Riese Organization has long been

known for its control and success at some

of Manhattan's best retail locations. "For

the chef or restaurant entrepreneur, our

real estate knowledge will prove to be in-

valuable. We also have been in the mar-

ket so long, that we are offered opportu-

nities that the small company does not

get to see, and we provide strength in the

eyes of landlords, who might otherwise

be unwilling to rent to a small business,"

Riese added.

"We are incredibly excited about the

opportunity to partner with someone

who has already had success and now

needs assistance in taking the next steps.

This could include a chef who has had

success working for others and is now

trying to go out on their own. Or it could

include operators who have already

opened a restaurant successfully, and

now want to progress to greater heights,"

Riese concluded.

NYC'S Legendary Riese Organization Set To Invest In Creative Chefs And EntrepreneursThe Riese Organization, one of the largest restaurant owners and managers in New York City, has announced the formation

and funding of Riese Capital, a more than $5 million venture capital fund.

// NEWS FINANCE

"Riese Capital is in a good position

to nurture creative but financially

limited operators while providing

attractive investment opportunities

and significant potential returns to

our company."

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65 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

celebrity chefs Roblé and Walter Hinds

were present as judges at Harlem’s

first Teen Battle Chef competition

last month hosted by Jones, and pre-

sented by EmblemHealth, The Links

Incorporated, and Family Cook Pro-

ductions. Chef Marcus Samuelsson,

of Red Rooster fame, also made an ap-

pearance.

The battle was the brainchild of

former New York first lady Michelle

Paige, who has worked with the in-

surance company EmblemHealth for

more than seven years. She said that

in communities of color, the obesity

epidemic is a larger threat than else-

where. “I think it’s one in three kids

(in the broader community) will be-

come overweight or obese,” she said.

“In communities of color it’s one in

two. So we wanted to do something

around teaching kids how to cook and

eat healthy.”

Paige said she met Lynn Freder-

icks, the founder of Family Cook Pro-

ductions, a year ago, and after seeing

a Teen Battle Chef competition in

Brooklyn, Paige decided she wanted

to bring the program to Harlem.

The Teen Battle Chef classes, cur-

rently an extra-curricular activity at

Thurgood Marshall Academy, Bread

& Roses Integrated Arts High School,

and Northside Child Development

Center, teaches kids how to read food

labels and provides information about

the obesity epidemic and juvenile dia-

betes. TV personality Star Jones intro-

duced the judges.

Ashley Pina, 18, a senior at Bread &

Roses, who was on team “Black Eyed

Peas and Collard Greens,” says she’s

the oldest of five siblings, and has to

help her mom cook a lot. “Because my

kitchen consists mainly of Goya prod-

ucts, this competition taught me how

to be a bit healthier,” Pina said. She

and her mom used to cook mostly rice,

beans, pork chops, and chicken. “I was

really closed-minded about food,” she

continued. “I shied away from any-

thing out of my zone. Now I have a

love for all different kinds of food.”

While the two teams, the “Black Eyed

Peas” and their competition, “Kenyan

Style Mixed Greens,” prepared to cook

downstairs, the audience arrived up-

stairs, and the celebrity guests along

with it.

Star Jones shared the story of her

weight struggles and gastric bypass

surgery with the audience, saying

that at her heaviest, she weighed 307

pounds, but when the doctors told her

she needed surgery, she “buried her

head in the sand.”

“I want to encourage people to start

eating healthy and eliminate the risk

of heart disease and diabetes,” she

told DNAinfo New York. “So when Mi-

chelle Paige asked me to get involved I

was happy to do it.”

But in an audience of mostly nor-

mal-sized people, with teenagers who

are clearly active in their school com-

munities on display, wasn’t all this talk

about education and making healthy

choices just preaching to the choir?

Dr. William Gillespie, a pediatrician

and EmblemHealth’s chief medical of-

ficer, didn’t think so. “There is an issue

of obesity here in Harlem,” he said.

“And to have people come to support

the community and support the kids,

it gives them an opportunity to see

what’s possible from a healthy eat-

ing point of view, and maybe they’ll

go home and try some of these same

things. We’re giving them the recipes

used in the competition. We’re talk-

ing about healthy eating. And all these

people can go home and make the

choice to do a healthier approach to

their nutrition.”

In the end both teams won - “Black

Eyed Peas” for food artistry and “Ke-

nyan Style Mixed Greens” for audi-

ence popularity.

Teen Chefs, from page 31

66 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

In Nobu's first hotel project, lead-

ing the way as the first celebrity-

chef branded hotel venture, David

Rockwell and his firm Rockwell

Group have designed the space to con-

vey an extension of the fun and ener-

getic Nobu lifestyle. From the moment

of entry into the hotel lobby, guests will

sense the dramatic transformation from

Caesars Palace to Nobu Hotel. Surfaces

will be comprised of wood tiles that ex-

tend through the elevator foyer and into

the cabins - a single gesture that defines

the entire hotel space. Schindler PORT

elevator technology will transport hotel

guests comfortably and efficiently us-

ing sleek touch-screens and a powerful

traffic management algorithm resulting

in fewer stops, less wasted energy and

greater handling capacity. Hallways will

feature patterned carpets designed to

reflect elements of cherry blossoms and

Japanese Zen gardens along with pleat-

ed wall coverings and custom fixtures

inspired by origami.

"We have created a distinctly Japa-

nese experience in the heart of Las Ve-

gas with the first Nobu Hotel, but with

a playful interpretation of Nobu's style

and the Vegas bravado," said Rockwell,

founder and CEO of Rockwell Group.

"Using the grand canvas of a hotel, we

were able to elaborate on the use of

hand-crafted, curated materials that

create a luxurious effect and provide a

world-class Nobu experience."

Manhattan Based Nobu Set To Rollout New Hotel ConceptNobu Hospitality partners including Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro and Meir Teper, along with designer David Rockwell

and principals from Caesars Palace, gathered last month at the original Nobu in New York City to provide guests with an initial

glance inside the world's first Nobu Hotel, set to open in Las Vegas late 2012. In addition to revealing the first look into the hotel

design, the group announced guest bookings will begin Oct. 1

// NEWS HOTELS

67 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

One hundred and eighty-one guest

rooms, including 18 suites, will offer

Strip or garden views. Designs will em-

brace comfortable simplicity with natu-

ral materials and textures counter-bal-

anced with outsized elements to reveal

a touch of Vegas flair. Neutral tones will

set the room while hints of purple and

aqua are emitted from multiple accent

pieces, decorative pillows and artwork.

Patterned beige-colored carpets will

feature a strong, unconventional graph-

ic designed to invoke sentiments of

landforms, seascapes and active move-

ments. Staying true to the Nobu aesthet-

ic, the furniture will reflect the influence

of designers whose forms come directly

from nature offering a modern comfort

that is both elegant and casual.

"We are thrilled to be working with

Caesars Entertainment as our strategic

partner on the first Nobu Hotel which

we are creating together adding a fur-

ther lifestyle luxury offering to the well

established Caesars Palace destination.

We are looking forward to expanding on

this relationship further with additional

international projects," said CEO of

Nobu Hospitality Trevor Horwell. "The

design of the Nobu Hotel Caesars Pal-

ace is exciting, fresh and represents the

creative fusion of the Rockwell Group,

Caesars Entertainment and the Nobu

Group, and we are eager to welcome our

guests to experience our unique lifestyle

hospitality." Custom art by up-and-

coming Japanese artists will feature a

mix of traditional prints and expression-

ist designs, speaking to the link between

traditional Japanese and modern art.

The main focal point of the room will

be the feature wall that displays a cus-

tom calligraphy. Designed to represent

the traditional form of Japanese ink

painting Hitsuzendo, which translates

as "the way of the brush," this Zen-in-

spired art is consistent throughout the

design, starting with the name Nobu.

"The 'o' in Nobu signifies 'enso,' or cir-

cle, one of the most common subjects

of Japanese calligraphy," says Nobu. "It

symbolizes enlightenment, strength

and elegance and is an expression of art.

"The Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace ex-

perience is crafted with the Nobu guest

in mind - we want to cater to their ex-

pectancies of quality and comfort while

offering unique elements of surprise,"

said Gigi Vega, Nobu Hotel Caesars Pal-

ace general manager. "We have strived

to create an elevated experience that

fully communicates the magnetic Nobu

lifestyle with exclusive touches and op-

ulent details to evoke excitement and

form lasting memories."

The arrival experience will include

personalized service with in-room iPad

registration and a traditional hot tea wel-

come amenity. An upgraded minibar

continued on page 74

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SFM-The Society for Food

Service management and

the FBAA-The Food and

Beverage Association of

America teamed to host

a very special Schmooze Cruise.

Among the highlights of the evening

was the industry's maiden voyage

on the much-anticipated Atlantica

ship. The two associations enjoyed a

night of networking with SFM bring-

ing the “movers and shakers” in the

B&I segment of the foodservice in-

dustry and FBA the top Metro New

York Hotel execs.

The Society for Foodservice Man-

agement is a pre-eminent national

association serving the needs and

interests of executives in the onsite

foodservice industry. With mem-

bers from coast to coast and over-

seas, SFM members are the best and

brightest in onsite foodservice. The

Society represents major corporate

liaison personnel and independent

operators as well as national and

regional foodservice contract man-

agement companies. Consultants

and companies providing products

and services to the onsite market are

also SFM members. The Society for

Foodservice Management (SFM) was

founded in 1979 via a merger of the

National Industrial Cafeteria Man-

agers Association (NICMA) and the

Association of Food Service Manage-

ment (AFSM).

The Food and Beverage Associa-

tion of America is a nonprofit, tax-

exempt, philanthropic, educational

and social trade organization. Its

membership encompasses execu-

(L to R) Day & Nite's Rick Sher with Jeff Hessel and Steve Doyle of BSE MarketingDay & Nite's Dan McCaffrey and Patri-cia Sharp of Restaurant Associates

// EYE METRO NEW YORK'S FOODSERVICE SCENE

The Schmooze CruiseEYE notes that it was magic on the high seas as two of the industry's leading associations teamed up for a special night in

New York harbor last month.

The Society for Foodservice Management is a

pre-eminent national association serving the

needs and interests of executives in the onsite

foodservice industry.

71 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Benzakour of Stamford's Rockrimmon Country Club(L to R) Culinary Depots' Michael Lich-ter and Jason Whalen of Montague

(L to R) JP Morgan Chase's Barb Boden and Ann McNally of Morgan Stanley

The Food and Beverage Association of America is a nonprofit,

tax-exempt, philanthropic, educational and social trade

organization. Its membership encompasses executives in the

food and beverage allied industries of the Greater New York

Metropolitan area.

tives in the food and beverage allied

industries of the Greater New York

Metropolitan area. Established in

1956, the Association, formerly Food

and Beverage Managers (FBMA),

have responded to the continued

need for improved standards and

within the food industry. The As-

sociation is accessible to food and

beverage executives who wish to

network and grow within the indus-

try and has served many members as

a career catalyst, presenting oppor-

tunities for advancement. Members

contribute their time, knowledge

and efforts to Association activi-

ties. The Association continues to

support organizations such as City

Meals-on Wheels, The Children’s Aid

Society, National Committee for the

Prevention of Child Abuse and Share

Our Strength (SOS). The Association

invests in the future of the hospi-

tality industry via Scholarship and

Awards Programs, offering financial

assistance to future hospitality pro-

fessionals who have demonstrated

need and maintained scholastic su-

periority. In 1997, the Association

committed a five-year pledge of

$100,000 to fund a learning center in

the name of the Food and Beverage

Association of America at the Bobst

Library of New York University.

Mr. and Mrs. Gus Montesantos of the Doubletree Hotel in Times Square

Pamela and Christian Schienle of Sel & Poivre Restaurant

72 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Sure it’s humid outside, why

then aren’t more cocktails

created with the signa-

ture drink of the summer?

Lemonade is that signature

drink and lemons just happen to go

beautifully with Botanical Gin.

I’ve tasted several gins worth men-

tioning that are available in the area.

The first one is named for the bon

viveur named Martin Miller. Martin

Miller distills his gin in Scotland and

then does the blending utilizing pris-

tine glacial water from Iceland.

He offers two expressions, one a Lon-

don Gin, crisp-aromatic and very dry,

the other a pot-still Gin- full of spice

and with copious amounts of a signa-

ture flavor that screams summer in a

glass. I suggest for this cocktail that I

name the Brandubh Bog cocktail.

This cocktail involves a muddle of

freshly grilled lemonade along with

citrus bitters from Hella Bitter in

Brooklyn. Morris Kitchen (also in

Brooklyn) does preserved lemon syr-

up that calls out to gin in a manner

unknown to mere mortals. Unless

you are familiar with Middle Eastern

flavors, you may not know about the

flavor and texture on your tongue of

preserved lemons. They are haunting

and mystifying all at the same time.

Brandubh Bog Cocktail Ingredients:• Grilled lemons and limes

• Morris Kitchen Simple Syrup of

Preserved Lemons from Brooklyn

• Hella Bitter Citrus from Brooklyn

• 4 Shots of Martin Miller’s Pot Still

Gin

Preparation: 1. Prepare Lemonade by grilling the

citrus then juicing

2. Add ice (about ¼ full) to a cock-

tail shaker

3. Add Martin Miller’s Gin

4. Add 4-5 shakes of the Hella Bitter

5. Add 3-4 Tablespoons of the Mor-

ris Kitchen Preserved Lemon

Simple Syrup

6. Shake until a nice frost forms on

the shaker (about 1 minute or so,

a bit more if desired)

7. Pour into a tall glass packed with

ice. Sip to your suddenly cooler

state

The next Gin is from Death’s Door

in Wisconsin. This gin is firmly in-

stilled into my memory as a gin with

true flavor and dare I say to the wine

folks, Terroir. The Death’s Door Gin

is organic- this is a plus in the world

of non-organic foods and drinks. I

eat as much organic as possible, why

shouldn’t my drinks reflect the same

passion for health? Death’s Door Gin

has lovely aromatics befitting a gin of

such high quality. There are show-

stopping flavors of fennel and wild

Juniper berries. Woven into the back-

ground I sense the flavor of spearmint

and citrus peel. It’s a lovely sip alone

on the rocks. This gin is perfectly at

home in a short rocks glass with a

slice of lemon and a splash of Royal

Rose Simple syrup of lemon and

lavender. The elements of earth to

ground do not overpower the Death’s

Door Gin in any way. I always like a

shake or two of the Bitter End Curry

Bitters in this little drink.

The Overnight PassageIngredients:• 4 Shots Death’s Door Gin

• 2 Shot glasses of freshly squeezed

lemon juice

• 2 Tablespoons of Royal Rose Lem-

on/Lavender Simple Syrup

• 3-4 drops (per drink) of Bitter End

Curry Bitters

• Coconut water ice (freeze co-

conut water in an ice cube tray

50/50 with water filtered in the

Mavea Water system pitcher)

Preparation:1. Prepare your lemonade in the

manner you prefer

2. Add 2 Tablespoons of Royal Rose

Lemon/Lavender Simple Syrup

or to taste

3. Add 6-8 drops of Bitter End Curry

Bitters

4. Shake and strain into a tall glass

with a couple cubes of the coco-

nut water/Mavea Water ice

The final cocktail uses Bulldog Gin.

Bulldog calls itself a London Style

Gin, but I see it more like a botani-

cal Gin. The Bulldog lends itself to

concoctions that include fresh herbs

// MIXOLOGY WITH WARREN BOBROW

Metro New York Mixology with GinGin offers a refreshing journey into the heart of the Summer

darkness. Summer is upon us with all her fury and humidity.

Isn’t it nice to know that there exist liquors that actually

makes summer easier to swallow?

Warren Bobrow

Warren Bobrow is the cocktail writer for

Williams-Sonoma, Foodista, Voda Maga-

zine and the 501c3 not for profit Wild River

Review/Wild Table, where he also serves as

an editor. www.cocktailwhisperer.com

73 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

like muddled basil and fruits like

lemon and lime in tropical scented

punches that belie the power from

within. I love the Bulldog Gin for

what it is not. It is not flavorless and

it is not weak. It mixes well with oth-

ers and has a very distinctive aroma

of freshly cut citrus fruits and laven-

der. It is not a gin for the disbeliever.

Nor is it a gin for the vodka drinker

in your household. This is gin for

a robust Gin and Tonic made with

freshly spun tonic water from Tomr’s

in New Jersey. Tomr’s makes a tonic

syrup that will just knock your socks

off. In the presence of lemonade, the

combination of Tomr’s, Bulldog Gin

and Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral

Water make for a dreamy cocktail en-

hanced by a healthy snort of Bitters,

Old Men Smoke Gets in your Bitters

(bitters) and finally a splash of a mar-

velous new spirit named Sorel. Sorel

is made from hibiscus with a back-

bone of aged rum…It has the nose of

real Mexican Coca-Cola. Sorel also

tastes a bit like a Dr. Brown’s Cream

Soda if you get the drift.

The Drift CocktailIngredients: • 3 Shots of Bulldog Gin

• 1 Shot Sorel Liqueur

• A few torn pieces of fresh Thai

basil

• 4 Tablespoons Tomr’s Tonic Syrup

• 6 Oz. freshly made lemonade

• 4 Slugs of Bitter End Thai Bitters

• 4 Oz. per glass Perrier Sparkling

Natural Spring Water

Preparation:1. Muddle the torn Thai Basil leaf to

release the aromatics

2. Add ice to a cocktail shaker

3. Mix a batch of freshly squeezed

lemonade and fill ¼ way in the

shaker

4. Adjust sweetness with Tomr’s

Tonic Syrup added to the shaker

5. Add Liquors to the shaker

6. Shake Shake Shake Shake… until

the shaker is frosty…

7. Pour carefully into two rocks

glasses with one GIANT cube of

ice in each one. Garnish with a

lemon hunk..

8. Sip to the loss of innocence.

74 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

curated by Nobu will consist of unique

selections including organic Wild Poppy

blood orange chili juice crafted from or-

chards in California, chocolate-dipped

Pocky pretzels, Japanese beer and an as-

sortment of Dean & Deluca snack items.

Nobu's signature brands of chilled sake

and Genmai-Cha brown rice green tea

will also be available.

In addition to exclusive accommo-

dations, Nobu Hotel guests will also

have private access to the adjacent

11,200-square-foot restaurant and

lounge with priority seating and 24-

hour access to Nobu cuisine through

the first-ever in-room dining menu.

The highly anticipated menu will in-

clude popular Japanese items, along

with Nobu's signature twists on Amer-

ican classics. A selection of bento

boxes will offer a customary Japanese

breakfast and the Vegas-themed High

Roller which features lobster wasabi,

Wagyu steak, spicy garlic shrimp and

an assortment of nigiri and premium

sushi rolls. Additional menu items will

include green tea waffles served with

braised short rib, egg and aged maple;

bagel and lox featuring salmon sashi-

mi served on an "everything bagel"

made of crispy rice; the RLT with rock

shrimp, butter lettuce and Maui onion

tomato salsa in a creamy spicy sauce;

and the tonkatsu sandwich with pan-

ko pork and prune katsu sauce on

shokupan bread.

"For Nobu Hotel's in-room dining

menu I have crafted some of my sig-

nature selections paired with some

new additions to cater to the Vegas

market," said Nobu. "My passion and

creativity is communicated into every

dish and I look forward to further rais-

ing the bar with my newest restaurant

and hotel venture."

Nobu is one of the premier luxury

lifestyle brands in the world. With op-

erations spanning five continents, the

Nobu brand thrives in many global

capitals as a focal destination. The

natural growth of the Nobu luxury

brand built on service, image and cre-

ativity offers the complete spectrum

of restaurant, hotel and residences

management for unique and selected

projects on a global scale.

The Rockwell Group is an award

winning, cross-disciplinary 140-per-

son architecture and design firm spe-

cializing in cultural, hospitality, retail,

product, and set design. Based in New

York, with satellite offices in Madrid

and Shanghai, the firm crafts a unique

narrative and an immersive environ-

ment for each project. Rockwell's in-

terest in theater has informed much

of the firm's work, including: W Hotel

New York, Union Square, Paris- Opera

and Vieques; the Elinor Bunin Munroe

Film Center at Lincoln Center; The

Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas; Maialino

at the Gramercy Park Hotel; Adour

Alain Ducasse at The St. Regis New

York; the central Marketplace of the

JetBlue terminal at John F. Kennedy In-

ternational Airport; set design for the

2009 and 2010 Academy Awards cere-

monies; Canyon Ranch Miami Beach;

the Kodak Theatre, Los Angeles; Nobu

restaurants worldwide; set design for

Broadway's "Hairspray" and "Catch

Me If You Can;" and the Imagination

Playground initiative. In May 2010

David Rockwell was inducted into the

James Beard Foundation Who's Who

of Food & Beverage in America. He

was also honored with the 2009 Pratt

Institute Legends Award, and the 2008

National Design Award for Interior

Design from Smithsonian's Cooper-

Hewitt.

Reigning at the heart of the Las Ve-

gas Strip, Caesars Palace features 3,960

hotel guest rooms and suites, includ-

ing the brand new Octavius Tower and

180-room Nobu Hotel set to open in

2012; and 25 diverse restaurants and

cafes, including the 24-hour cafe Cen-

tral by James Beard award-winning

Chef Michel Richard.

Nobu, from page 67 Dunkin, from page 40

Discount, from page 56

in 2008, Mr. Carbone served as the

Senior Vice President and Chief Fi-

nancial Officer for Tween Brands

where he had responsibility for the

company's financial functions, loss

prevention and travel management.

Mr. Carbone also served in financial

leadership roles for several retail or-

ganizations.

“Neil and Paul are both highly mo-

tivated, talented executives with a

passion for results, for our brands

and for our franchisee-focused busi-

ness model,” concluded Travis.

With more than 16,800 points of

distribution in nearly 60 countries

worldwide, Dunkin' Brands Group,

Inc. is one of the world's leading fran-

chisors of quick service restaurants

(QSR) serving hot and cold coffee and

baked goods, as well as hard-serve ice

cream. At the end of 2011, Dunkin'

Brands' nearly 100 percent franchised

business model included more than

10,000 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants

and more than 6,700 Baskin-Robbins

restaurants. For the full-year 2011,

the company had franchisee-report-

ed sales of approximately $8.3 billion.

Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. is head-

quartered in Canton, MA.

sions based on conversations with

our clients. Don’t get me wrong, the

numbers need to make sense and we

need to know if anything that could

adversely affect their ability to pay us

back is going on, but we are looking

for people who truly want their busi-

ness to succeed and you just can’t get

that from an email. I think the Inter-

net plays a significant role in provid-

ing information to prospective clients

about us and our company. I will ad-

mit, though, I am not overly fond of

the Internet. My experience is that

people are less forthcoming when

communicating electronically. The

only electronic communication that

should take place over the Internet is

the providing of documentation.

What lessons has the company learned from your years in restaurant financing? Believe it or not, it is alarming how

many business owners have taken

merchant cash advances and really do

not understand how these advances

work, how they should be using the

money and how it works into their

daily cash flow. We find ourselves talk-

ing our clients into taking less money

or delaying the advance because their

businesses’ cash flow simply will not

“survive” paying us back. We will never

put our clients’ backs against the wall.

They have to know that we are always

there to help them if something comes

up. Too many of our competitors are

only concerned with their own bottom

line. Our default rate is less than 1%;

what this means is that by building our

client base through one-on-one re-

lationships, we fully understand how

much money a business needs and

can afford to repay. Every one of our

clients will speak to a decision maker

and an investor. The deal simply has

to make sense for everyone involved.

What changes do you foresee in the restaurant industry in the next de-cade? I think we willcontinue to see more and

more people dine outside the home.

With more and more families having

two working parents with children

involved in extracurricular activities,

there is less and less time to prepare

meals in the home. Only the economy

will dictate where the money is spent;

whether it be in a fast foodrestaurant

or a dine-in restaurant. The restaurant

owners that create the brand and does

the necessary measures to attract new

customers now will be rewarded in the

not too distant future.

75 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

restaurants and bakeries that maintain

his food philosophy while continually

evolving on a daily basis.

“The success of The French Laun-

dry and Per Se is ultimately due to one

man's brilliance, his enduring philoso-

phy of embracing change and his abil-

ity to nurture, train and inspire those

around him,” said William Drew, Edi-

tor, Restaurant magazine. “Keller's in-

fluence and inspiration has spread well

beyond his restaurants and the United

States, to chefs and diners around the

world. The presence of so many pres-

tigious chefs at this unique celebra-

tory event reflects the esteem in which

Keller is held within the industry."

The World's 50 Best Restaurants

awards are organized by Restau-

rant magazine and sponsored by

S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. Cel-

ebrating its tenth year in 2012, the

awards are an annual snapshot of

the opinions and experiences of The

World's Best Restaurants Academy,

an influential group of over 800 inter-

national leaders in the restaurant and

food and drink industries. The Acad-

emy is split into 27 separate regions

around the world, with each region

having its own panel of 31 members.

Academy members cast seven votes in

order of preference, with at least three

votes cast for restaurants outside of

their region.

S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural

Mineral Water and Acqua Panna®

Natural Spring Water are the main

sponsors of The World's 50 Best Res-

taurants awards. For centuries, these

premium waters have complemented

fine food, wine and dining experiences.

The brands have a passion for quality,

taste and style, and uphold interna-

tional support of the culinary arts by

both honoring the world's best chefs

through partnerships including The

World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and nur-

turing young chefs through mentor-

ship programs such as The S.Pellegrino

Almost Famous Chef Competition,

now in its 10th year in the United States

and Canada.

The S.Pellegrino Lifetime Achieve-

ment Award winner is determined

from votes cast by The World's 50 Best

Restaurants Academy. The 2012 award

recipient, Thomas Keller, joins the

S.Pellegrino Lifetime Achievement hall

of fame alongside Juan Mari Arzak (Ar-

zak), Eckart Witzigmann (Aubergine)

and Joel Robuchon (L'Atelier de Joel

Robuchon).

Per Se, the acclaimed restaurant from

Chef Thomas Keller, opened in February

2004 and has brought Keller's distinctive

hands-on approach from Napa Valley's

The French Laundry to New York City.

The restaurant's Chef de Cuisine Eli Kai-

meh and Pastry Chef Elwyn Boyles offer

guests a daily nine-course Chef's Tasting

Menu and Tasting of Vegetables in the

main dining room, and an a La Carte se-

lection in the Salon.

Keller, from page 32

76 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

The restaurant was designed by

branding and ICRAVE, who

worked closely with ACC, as

did STK’s owners, The One

Group, to create a hot, chic restaurant

that meshes stylistically with the dra-

matic facade of the Grace Building.

ACC transformed the raw space on the

ground floor of the 1974 skyscraper into

a stunning, second STK outpost in New

York by installing a custom sculptural

ceiling, marble bar, rosewood millwork

and dramatic lighting in the soaring

main dining room.

ACC also constructed a new kitchen

with an extensive exhaust system in the

3,000 square-foot basement, and creat-

ed an outdoor dining space and takeout

kiosk on the site’s exterior promenade.

ICRAVE’S design includes a sweeping

ceiling made of GFRC-polymer “ribs”

that create visual interest and relate to

the lines of the Grace Building while

also referencing the cattle horn sculp-

ture that’s in the STK in the Meatpacking

District. Because these elements are so

singular - and fragile - ACC helped with

the design; it was cast off-site in sec-

tions. After soundproofing the original

ceiling, ACC assembled and installed the

new, very complicated ceiling sculpture.

A custom Travertine marble bar was

inspired by the marble on the build-

ing’s exterior; ICRAVE also designed

intricate custom lighting to illuminate

each table. An inviting gas fireplace goes

through a column on the western end of

the lounge such that it greets guests and

is visible from the dining room. Curved

rosewood banquettes with sophisticat-

ed faux-alligator cushions give the din-

ing area a luxurious feel as well. There is

a stand for the ever-present DJ, and ACC

worked with an AV consultant to install

speakers in optimal spaces both above

the ceiling and beneath the banquettes.

The ground floor also includes a private

dining room.

The massive state-of-the-art kitchen

that encompasses three-quarters of the

total space had to be created to work in

sync with the existing building systems

and to meet Department of Health Stan-

dards. First ACC had to raise the floor

by 18 inches so it could run wiring and

piping without interfering with exist-

ing systems beneath the original floor,

which included Con Ed equipment

and existing vaults. The firm worked

with a kitchen consultant to build out

and install the kitchen, which includes

stainless or black steel units and an ex-

tremely complex filtering system for the

cooking equipment.

The M. Tucker duo of Morgan Tucker

and John Ognibene teamed to coordi-

nate the kitchen equipment package.

"Our goal was to assemble a group of

high quality manufacturers like Jade

to create a pre partnership to facilitate

rolling out the STK concept across the

country," explained M. Tucker's Morgan

Tucker. "The goal at STK was to mini-

mize the kitchen footprint and to maxi-

mize yield,” M. Tucker’s Ognibene said.

"In addition, we needed to create a

cooking capacity that could service

not only the restaurant but an outdoor

dining area as well. Their approach

is that this is not "your Daddy's steak

house." By specifying Jade, we were able

to utilize Jade with their pull-out broiler

feature to give the STK culinary team

the flexibility they need.

Because so much air is being vented

out through the exhaust system, the

HVAC system, designed by Rosini En-

gineers, has to constantly replace and

refresh the inside air. STK ages its own

meat; three large walk-in refrigerators

were installed downstairs to store steaks.

The basement accommodates a man-

ager’s office, storage rooms, a coatroom,

restrooms, an IT room and a workers’

lounge and locker rooms. To reach this

floor, two interior stairways were built,

one for employees leading to the kitch-

en and one for restaurant guests leading

to the restrooms and coatroom.

“STK is one of the hottest places in the

city,” says Michele Medaglia, President

and CEO of ACC Construction. “It is def-

initely a highlight of our own portfolio.

It’s an absolutely gorgeous, sexy interior

with complex systems and structures

underlying and supporting it. We are so

proud to have created such a spectacu-

lar space.”

M. Tucker Teams With ICRAVE And ACC To Create New Landmark Eatery For NY's One GroupOnce again great teamwork has led to the creation of a strikingly beautiful steakhouse in Manhattan. ACC Construction, interior design

studio ICRAVE and the M. Tucker Company have teamed to complete STK, in the Grace Building on West 43rd Street in New York City.

// NEWS RESTAURANT DESIGN

The stunning interior of the 1,000 square foot restaurant STK in New York City.

Executive Chef at STK, Adriano Ricco utilized Jade to anchor the midtown eatery's extensive menu

77 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

78 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

W hat influenced you to make cooking a career? When I was 14 I worked

in the produce department of a local

grocery store. I told my boss, John Nat-

tarelli that I was going to give notice to

work as a busboy at my cousin’s restau-

rant. He said, “Yeah that’s a good idea,

you should try to work in the kitchen

too, then maybe you can make a career

at it." I don’t know why, but I always re-

member him saying that. After working

a year as a busboy, I knew the action

was in the kitchen. I got my chance to

start as a prep cook when I was 16 and

after a few years of kind of just being in

the way and sometimes almost burn-

ing the place down, I became really

fast, really good and never looked back.

Lead us through the process of devel-oping a new dish for La Silhouette.We start with an ingredient. Whether

it is a protein or vegetable, inspiration

is number one. It is important to share

ideas and put everything on the table

then sort everything out.

When I was younger, I was afraid to ad-

mit I didn’t know something. The key to

developing a great menu is admitting

you don’t know something and then

learning from it and trying to perfect it.

I expect everyone in the kitchen to have

input on dishes and flavors. I learn a lot

from my Sous Chef and Pastry Chef.

The goal is always to put the best con-

cept on the plate.

How do you choose the produce you use to ensure it's always fresh? Are you loyal to particular vendors or do you constantly seek new sources?We have great vendors that have great

products. We use some companies

that are versatile enough so that if I

need only 3 red peppers, they have no

problem sending only 3 red peppers.

Matthew Tropeano, Executive ChefLa Grenouille in NYC

// CHEFCETERA

Executive Chef Matthew Tropeano brings his passionate approach to bold flavors and quality ingredients to La Silhouette in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen. Most recently Trope-ano’s culinary expertise was awarded 3-stars from New York Times’ critic Sam Sifton while executive chef at famed La Grenouille.

New York has a great vibe and the pace is

unforgiving. Before you know it you’ve been

here for 10 years, but have never been to the

Statue of Liberty.

continued on page 85

79 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

80 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

be looked at. Over the past few years

especially with the new contract, we

were able to make that capital invest-

ment to do many things.

So personally, where did this come from? Whether you're running a res-taurant, whether you're running a concession, whatever you're running there's a lot of ways you could have done these things cheaper, cut corners. What is it about you that drives you to do this? Is it about your grandfather and your father before you?

The environment has always been

something I've been concerned with

going back to high school days when

Earth Day first started. It's just been

something that has been important to

me and I'm able to take my concept

and ideas and execute it on the busi-

ness. I don't really boast about it. I don't

usually see my name on these things, I

just enjoy doing these things.

Right, it's just who you are. So, you were

way ahead of your time before it was

fashionable.

So, does this keep you as a company from growing into other contracts be-cause it's diametrically opposed to maximizing.I believe this is exactly what the public

today wants and demands. It doesn’t

keep us from anything.

What about in terms of how you go to market and buy product on the food side? Do you go out to bid on a regular basis? And does that enable you to be vendor loyalty or is the idea to find a good set of vendors and to keep them honest by going out to bid. Tell me a little bit about how you look at that.We go out to bid, but yes royalty is very

important. Price is very important but

delivery is extremely important. We use

great vendors! Some of our distributors

are Maximum Quality Foods, Ace Endi-

co, Driscoll and Baldor for our organics.

This year we also added AFI.

Terrific. And what do you look for from these folks? Do you look for timeliness of service? Do you look for quality of food? Do you look for new ideas from them? Tell me a little bit about the re-lationship.Our menu design basically comes from

what our philosophy is and what the

public generally would like to eat going

out for a simple nice dinner, nice lunch

and so on. We have a simple fashion to

restaurants that middle America enjoys

like a TGI Friday's or Applebee’s type

of foods, but kept on a simpler basis.

Because we only serve lunch and the

typical tourist coming to visit the Stat-

ue of Liberty, didn't come here to eat

specifically, they came to see the Stat-

ue and then they're going to another

tourist attraction. We want the foods

for them to be familiar so it's easy for

them to choose. That's our point of ref-

erence and then we do special foods on

a monthly basis, like highlight a differ-

ent ethnic group like Polish immigrants

and we'll have some Polish entrees for

one month. We highlight about a dozen

ethnic groups.

Five million visitors almost no waste, how's that possible?Reusable plastic tumblers that you

know are typical in the food industry

like in Friday's or such. Our platters

are reusable and then all of our food is

composted along with our straws and

forks that are compostable. And so it

becomes less and less waste. We recycle

plastic both PET, HDPE and also LDPE.

Food is composted. Our straws, forks

and even our paper cups, are com-

postable.

Tell me a little bit about the type of people who work for you and with you and how you go about building your team?Our staff stays with our company. Bob

Uffer our General Manager has only

been with me eight years so he's sort of

a new employee. Our Director of Food

Service at Liberty has been with us over

25 years. Our oldest employee Hilton

Bonilla, will be celebrating his 50th an-

niversary with us this fall.

That's the question. Maybe your grandfather or dad are awesomely nice guys and you have contenured what it is that makes this obviously part of the family at this point? How

does does that evolve?Yes, they are awesome. There's that

golden rule but of course I think we're

a good company to work for. We offer

good benefits and we do try and make

it a family. We probably have over 20

other employees with over 20 years

with our company.

Q&A, from page 29

81 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

it was as Chef and partner at Tosca

in Hingham.

In 1997, Oringer opened Clio,

which quickly received a four star

rating from the Boston Herald. In

2001 he was the recipient of the

James Beard ‘Best Chef in the North-

east Award.’ In 2002, Oringer added

the sashimi bar, Uni, to Clio’s lounge,

giving himself a new venue for the

love of Asian flavors acquired dur-

ing his travels all over Southeast

Asia. In 2005, Oringer opened Toro, a

Barcelona-inspired tapas restaurant

in Boston’s South End drawing inspi-

ration from his travels across Spain

and time spent in the local markets

and restaurants. When the confetti

settles from Toro’s celebrated open-

ing, Oringer will take on another ex-

citing project further afield, in Bang-

kok.

Instead of spending hours in front

of the TV watching cartoons as a

child, Jamie Bissonnette spent hours

watching The Discovery Channel’s

cooking shows. Bissonnette’s culi-

nary awakening was early in life; by

the age of 19 he had already earned

his culinary arts degree from The Art

Institute of Fort Lauderdale in Flor-

ida. Bissonnette’s early years were

used eating and working his way

through restaurants and kitchens in

Paris, San Francisco, New York, and

Phoenix. On the local Boston scene,

he's headed up the kitchens at Pe-

king Tom's, Pigalle, Andy Husband's

Tremont 647, and Kenmore Square

behemoth Eastern Standard.

Bissonnette’s comfort with a full

range of international cuisines and

culinary techniques has made him

a key player in several Ken Oringer

restaurants, and together they have

a seemingly unstoppable culinary

agenda for Boston. Their relation-

ship started when Oringer asked Bis-

sonnette to head up the kitchen at

Oringer’s innovative steakhouse KO

Prime at the Nine Zero Hotel.

After a successful two-year turn

at KO, Oringer asked Bissonnette

to head up his Spanish small plates

restaurant Toro, which since has de-

veloped a reputation as an industry

hang out. Striking while the iron is

hot, the duo opened another small,

neighborhood-style spot, Coppa. As

the name suggests, the concept is

Italian small plates with house-made

pasta and wood-oven pizza.

tives.”

Centre operating partner Rob Kay

has been named Executive Chairman

of Taylor, joining the current team led

by Don Robinson. Mr. Kay is the for-

mer Executive Chairman of Kaz, Inc.,

a leading manufacturer of home en-

vironment appliances, including va-

porizers, humidifiers, thermometers,

and heating pads that was previously a

Centre Partners portfolio company.

Mr. Kay added, “I am proud to have

another opportunity to lead a Centre

Partners company. The acquisition

of Taylor is a unique opportunity to

buy and build a leading company in

the branded consumer products sec-

tor, where we have considerable prior

experience and success. Taylor has a

number of well-established brands in

its portfolio and is well-positioned as

a platform for growth through organic

initiatives and acquisitions.”

Mr. Pollack continued, “We are ex-

cited to partner again with Rob Kay

who has a successful track record of

building businesses in the consumer

products sector. Rob’s expertise will

complement that of Don Robinson and

Taylor’s talented management team.”

“We’re extremely pleased to be a

part of the Centre Partners team and

to work alongside Rob Kay,” added Mr.

Robinson. “Centre’s expertise and sup-

port, combined with Rob’s operational

experience, will be very valuable as we

grow our business.”

Manhattan based Centre Partners,

founded in 1986, is a leading private

equity firm with a middle market focus

that seeks to make acquisitions and

equity investments alongside man-

agement teams who have or desire to

make a meaningful economic stake in

the future success of their businesses.

Centre Partners has invested over $3

billion in more than 90 transactions,

partnering with management teams

across a broad spectrum of industries.

Centre Partners provides those teams

with access to its unique resources,

which include an extended network of

experienced and proven operating ex-

ecutives. The firm is currently investing

through its fifth fund.

Founded in 1851 as a family-owned

household thermometer business,

Taylor Precision Products, Inc. is a

leader and recognized expert in preci-

sion measurement products, includ-

ing kitchen scales and thermometers,

bath scales and weather & outdoor

household products. Over time, Taylor

has broadened its brand portfolio to

include owned brands such as Taylor®

and Springfield®, premium brands

under long-term licenses such as Ho-

Medics® and Salter®, selected lifestyle

brands under license such as The Big-

gest Loser® and Bowflex®, as well as

private label products for select cus-

tomers.

Taylor, from page 14

Boston, from page 10

Waste, from page 20

up with a degree from The Culinary

Institute of America, where he was

voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” After

school, Oringer went on to work with

David Burke at New York’s River Café,

who turned out to be a huge inspi-

ration and mentor for Oringer. From

there, he took on the Pastry Chef po-

sition at Al Forno. Oringer’s next stop

was Boston, where he was Chef de

Partie but quickly promoted to Sous-

Chef at Le Marquis de Lafayette un-

der Jean-Georges Vongerichten, an-

other important mentor in Oringer’s

culinary growth. From here, Oringer

went on to open the tratorria Terra,

which received three stars from The

New York Times.

In a quest to expand his culinary

skills and learn more about Ameri-

can wines, Oringer embarked on

a westward journey to Silks in San

Francisco’s Mandarin Oriental Ho-

tel, where he took the post of Chef

de Cuisine. At Silk’s, Oringer’s style,

flair and finesse with food began

to attract attention. When Oringer

moved back East to Massachusetts,

fats, and oils recyclers are equipped

with special cleaning systems to ensure

a service that gives maximum flexibil-

ity and efficiency with the minimum of

disruption.

And, thanks to the economies of

scale of its provider network, along

with proactive account management

and consolidated invoicing, the service

is cost competitive, especially given the

potential for further savings from the

recycling of certain collected material.

“By looking closely at the needs of

the marketplace and bringing our ex-

perience from other sectors, we’ve

been able to bring a much needed ser-

vice in a cost effective manner to the

widest range of food service outlets,”

said Carmine Esposito, CEO, National

Waste Associates. “Whether you’re a

multiple unit franchisee or a much

larger corporate chain, we make it that

much easier to meet your legal duties

and environmental obligations along

with the fiscal control that so many or-

ganizations need in this area.”

National Waste Associates helps re-

gional and national multi-location

restaurants, retailers and supermar-

ket chains to create a sensible waste

management and recycling program,

control it, reduce waste management

and recycling costs up to 30% or more

and expand recycling opportunities to

obtain competitive advantage through

more effective resource management.

82 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

83 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Rick Powers, American Metalcraft's

Lee Ann Kelly, CLVMarketing's Jim

Voorhees.

EYE said hello to H. Weiss's Jeff

Dellon and Elizabeth Weiss, Sam

Tell's Arthur Fisher, Anthony Ni-

coletti, Warren Pollansky, Daniel

Saltzman and Marc Tell and Go-

tham City Hospitality's Jeff Holmes,

Alyssa Stewart, Jennie Tannura and

Erik Weiss. The annual extravaganza

raised some $225K to benefit the

oldest and one of the most effective

and respected human rights and civil

rights organizations in America. EYE

toasted the 2012 winners with many

of Metro New York's top distribu-

tion executives led by: Borax Paper

Products Marc Borak and Howard

Hirsch, M. Tucker's Josh Blasberg,

Kim Fuchs, Marc Fuchs, Neil London,

Ellen Tucker, Morgan Tucker, Stephen

Tucker and John Vozzo. Eastern Bag &

Paper Co's . Eric Peabody, Meredith

Reuben and Jim Sugarman, Paper

Enterprises's Ari Lewis, Geri Sedler,

Herb Sedler, Jordan Sedler and Rob-

bie Sedler and Bunzl's Terry Duane,

Eric Goldstein, John Haddad, Josh

Halpern, Tom Long, Jeff Reiner, Stew-

art Reitzfeld, Cecile Rood, Mike Schil-

ling and Mike Stuckey.

The National Human Relations

Award went to Bryan O'Rourke, the

Human Relations award went to

Stephanie and Albert C. Lasher and

Corporate Leadership Award to Ad-

vantage Waypoint LLC accepted by

Mark Hanson. EYE spotted a num-

ber of Tri-State food and beverage

service leaders including Advantage

Waypoint's Mick Asmussen, John

Bruno, Jim Chisholm, Tim Farno, Ja-

son Goudsmith, Mark Hanson, Jim

Orkin, Joe Petrin, Brad Holcomb, (Ty-

son Foodservice) and Kerry Holcomb,

(Tyson Foodservice).

Key Impact Sales & Systems' Rob

Monroe and Rosaria Monroe, Mars

Foodservice's Chris Hardinger. Ocean

Spray Cranberries' Steve Harris, Dr.

Pepper Snapple Group's Steve Alkire

and John Williamson. Restaurant

Depot's Louis Armellino, Tom Casey,

John Emmett, Maureen Haubrich,

Rob Lehman, Joan Miller, Tom Owens

and Clark Pager, Larry Rosenthal. Pri-

ma Pasta Distributors' Nick Cucuzza

and J.M. Smucker Company's Steven

Ross.

Founded in 1906, its mandate has

always been to protect the rights and

freedoms of all individuals as the best

way to ensure the safety and security

of Jews and other minorities around

the world. EYE loved the unique

and hearfelt thoughts that each of

the honorees brought to the dais. AJC

intitiative's domestically and inter-

nationally, to monitor human rights,

build human bridges of mutual re-

spect and understanding between

religious and ethnic groups, defend

religious freedom and church-state

separation, safeguard democracy,

pluralism and the rule of law, fight

anti-Semitism and bigotry, strength-

en U.S. and international support for

Israel, and encourage Jewish continu-

ity.

The packaging industry was well

represented by RSS United Sales

Inc.'s Frank Rotunno, Marc Shapiro,

Stanley and Andrew Steckler, Spe-

cialty Quality Packaging's Theodore

Rabidou. Strategic Packaging's Noel

Beal, Sean Brady and Dan Galligan.

Creative Sales & Marketing's Mike Bi-

olsi, Kathy Lewis and Eddie Toby, Pac-

Tiv's Moshe Bellehsen, Brian Carlsen,

Mark Collins, Vince Farren and John

McGrath and Dart Container Corp.'s

Anthony Koutsouradis, Bruce Land-

ow and Ron Novicio. EYE also notes

that the success of the event each

year comes as the result of the hard

work on the indefatigable Lenny My-

ron of the AJC.

AJC, from page 30

84 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

888-531-Chefwww.iceculinary.com

Pastry & Baking arts

Classes

Call For Upcoming Class

Schedule

Hospitality Ball, from page 8

has overseen the spirits business for

Southern Wine & Spirits of New York

and for many years held senior roles

with Jim Beam (Future Brands), The

Coca-Cola Bottling Company and the

Paddington Corporation. Coming full

circle with this award, Romer was a

sponsor of the fundraiser's forerun-

ner, the Bartenders' Ball, in the 1980s.

Newsday's Jim Bernstein and Erica

Marcus called the 2011 inaugural

event "one of the largest fundraising

events."

The night of sensory delights light,

sound, food and drink raised more

than $170,000, was enjoyed by 1,500

guests, and made possible by more

than 150 industry sponsors. The Long

Island Hospitality Ball raises funds

for the American Cancer Society. It

is presented by hospitality headliners

from across the region including top

restaurants, wine and spirit brands,

nightclubs and entertainers as well

as hotels and catering halls. It was

founded in 2011 by Keith Hart, a hos-

pitality industry mainstay and cancer

survivor. The American Cancer Soci-

ety combines an unyielding passion

with nearly a century of experience

to save lives and end suffering from

cancer. As a global grassroots force of

more than three million volunteers,

we fight for every birthday threatened

by every cancer in every community.

We save lives by helping people stay

well by preventing cancer or detect-

ing it early; helping people get well by

being there for them during and after

a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures

through investment in groundbreak-

ing discovery; and by fighting back

by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to

defeat cancer and by rallying com-

munities worldwide to join the fight.

As the nation's largest non-govern-

mental investor in cancer research,

contributing about $3.6 billion, they

turn what they know about cancer

into what they do. As a result, more

than 12 million people in America

who have had cancer and countless

more who have avoided it will be cel-

ebrating birthdays this year. In 2011,

the Long Island office of the Ameri-

can Cancer Society reached 6,921

newly diagnosed cancer patients and

caregivers; gave almost 6,000 rides to

and from treatment appointments;

gave over 500 free wigs and gift cer-

tificates to women to purchase a wig;

matched over 600 women with volun-

teer survivors in the Reach to Recov-

ery program; gave over 1,000 cancer

patients on-site patient navigation

by a trained volunteer/staff member;

gave over 800 ladies a Look GoodFeel

Better cosmetic treatment; gave over

1,200 Personal Health Manager Kits

to newly diagnosed individuals; gave

147 kids with cancer and their sib-

lings, ages 6-18, the chance to attend

Camp Adventure on Shelter Island;

since opening in 2007 gave over 7,000

patients and caregivers from 46 states

and 27 countries, including patients

from Long Island, free temporary

housing at Hope Lodge NYC while re-

ceiving cancer treatment.

85 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

We have farmers that take great pride

in their products and pride themselves

on their ingredients. My fish guy Eric,

lives in South Jersey, in the summer he

hand picks great heirloom tomatoes

and fresh picked white corn. He used

to be a chef, so he knows what we want.

I am loyal to my vendors, but only be-

cause they take great care and pride in

what they do and send us. It’s a two

way street. We are always keeping our

eyes out for new products and sources

though.

Why is it so important to you to use locally-sourced ingredients?The less an ingredient is handled the

better. We are working on working with

some co-ops this summer, and we do

work with some farms in Pennsylva-

nia, upstate etc. Financially, it builds

a stronger community between all the

working parts of farm to restaurant to

customer relationship.

You grew up in Massachusetts. What brought you to New York?From an early age I knew that New York

was where the top restaurants were.

When I began my career at Primavera

I knew that I wanted to see how far I

could go. New York has a great vibe

and the pace is unforgiving. Before you

know it you’ve been here for 10 years,

but have never been to the Statue of

Liberty.

What's next for you? Do you have any interest in a book or a television show?I want everyone to know about La Sil-

houette. I believe we could do more

of these restaurants and still keep the

integrity of the food, service and atmo-

sphere. That would be a great welcom-

ing challenge. A book is in the works.

What chefs or restaurateurs do you most admire, and why?I came into this business admiring my

family, cousin, uncles, aunts, parents.

Then I explored the history and leading

chefs. Marco Pierre White was a huge

inspiration. His work ethic and attitude

is undeniable. I worked with a great

chef in Dallas, David McMillan. He

showed me how to make proper sauces

and what truly amazing ingredients

were. I worked 7 years at the restaurant

La Grenouille. Charles Masson is a res-

taurateur like no other. He is a throw-

back to people like Ferninand Point. He

showed me everyday how to balance,

discipline, restraint, beauty, and the art

of a restaurant.

What advice would you give aspiring chefs?Go to Europe. Try to work there. Defi-

nitely eat there. I became executive

chef at the age of 24. I might have been

too young. I wished I had always done

something in France, Italy, or Spain.

Take chances. Risk everything. That’s

the only way you get rewarded.

What qualities do you look for in choosing a sous chef and other kitchen staff?My sous chef here at La Silhouette has

all the qualities I look for. Hard work-

ing, creative, sacrificing, and basically

does anything and everything to get it

all done. He is the best. We rely on each

other and never skip a beat. We have

the same goals. Success at any cost.

What do you think are the important emerging trends in your field?I try not to follow trends. Trends always

have an end to them. I try to stay fo-

cused on the evolution of the business.

Whether it is ingredients and tech-

niques, things that are good always

stick around for the long run.

Chefcetera, from page 78

KRAFT, from page 36

Food Expo, from page 34

Operators love the fact that YES Pack

has changed the way salad dressing

has been packaged and sold. Tradi-

tionally, you had to buy a full case.

That was fine if it was a flavor that

you knew was a staple. But it kept the

operator from experimenting

with new flavors because you didn't

know if the flavor would be popular

enough to buy a full case. With YES

Packs' availability in a 2/1-gallon for-

mat, the YES Pack also allows opera-

tors to stock a greater variety of fla-

vors with a smaller investment.

Where did the names YES Pack come from?The YES in YES Pack stands for Yield,

Ease and Sustainability with the

goal of providing foodservice opera-

tors with the same delicious KRAFT

Dressings they have come to rely on

in new innovative packaging.

How has the industry received YES Pack. The reception has been tremendous

and infact, YES Pack recently won two

industry awards. The DuPont Awards

and The Food & Beverage Product In-

novations Award at the 2012 National

Restaurant Show in Chicago. Our goal

in designing this product was to bet-

ter meet the daily needs of operators.

The cutting edge design of the YES

Pack significantly improves back-of-

house efficiencies while maximizing

product yield and we are honored to

be recognized for that.

“Booth furnishings will be pro-

vided to exhibitors, ready and wait-

ing for them when they set up. They

just need to bring their product. For

visitors, the event will be held in an

intimate setting with a primary focus

on their business needs. The facil-

ity is not overwhelming, providing

industry professionals a stress free

environment to see products and

spend quality face-to-face time with

vendors and the opportunity to con-

duct business in a timely manner,”

said Callahan. Holding the event in

the Meadowlands Exposition Center

allows the show organizers the flex-

ibility to keep visitor and exhibitor

costs down.

In addition to the turnkey booth

package the organizer offers, the fa-

cility has easy access, the area has

inexpensive hotel accommodations

and ample free parking to all partici-

pants. Tri-State Food Expo will serve

the $36.6 billion foodservice and

$8.4 billion retail food and beverage

markets across New Jersey, western

Connecticut and the New York region

including New York City, Long Is-

land, and several counties bordering

northern New Jersey.

86 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

Call Vic Rose: 732-864-2220

87 • July 2012 • Total Food Service • www.totalfood.com

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