FOOD FANATICS FOOD FOOD PEOPLE MONEY & SENSE PLUS Assembly Required Jack of All Trades Name or No Name PR Machine Make it with meal kits, Maximize your labor, Should you hire a somebody? Collaborations make a bar fly, page 14 page 52 page 66 page 64 Sharing the Love of Food—Inspiring Business Success CATCHING FIRE CATCHING CATCHING SUMMER 2019 FIRE GRILLED DESSERTS TAKE OFF ON THE COVER Elvis’ Coal Roasted Banana Boat is all about smoky, melty, oozing goodness with the help of the grill. See recipe on page 38. Summer 2019 USFoods.com/foodfanatics FOOD SEA CHANGE Small business is no small task. Four ways to net a profitable So Progressive offers commercial auto and business and sustainable catch. 5 insurance that makes protecting yours no big deal. Local Agent | ProgressiveCommercial.com OUT OF THE BOX Take a taste of the meal kit action. 14 THE ISLES HAVE IT IN EVERY ISSUE Afro-Caribbean cuisine charts a TREND TRACKER course toward mainstream success. What’s on the radar, at high alert 22 and fading out? 42 SUGAR AND SMOKE FEED THE STAFF Desserts ignite the grill, and they’re How to maximize the labor pool in creating some serious heat. a tight market. 32 52 PR MACHINE FOOD PEOPLE Make a bar fly with food and drink I CAN’T HAVE WHAT SHE’S HAVING? collaborations. Win over diners with restrictive diets. 64 45 IHELP SPEAK EASY Get a reboot on your POS. Q&A with a chef who’s changing the 70 conversation on pay inequity. 48 ASK THE EXPERTS Solutions to try right now. ROAD TRIP! 73 East Coast or Pacific Northwest? BEYOND THE PLATE Desserts Both Portlands have it going on. deserve a 56 Five approaches to greater sustainability. turn on 74 the coals, MONEY & SENSE 32 RISE OF THE GROCERANT I’LL DRINK TO THAT! How to compete with the big dogs. Cannabis in cocktails is hotter 59 than ever. 76 NAME OR NO NAME CHEF The pros and cons of hiring a BY THE NUMBERS somebody. Cool down with ice cream. PHOTOGRAPHY BY EVA KOLENKO EVA BY PHOTOGRAPHY 66 80 Progressive Casualty Ins. Co. & Af liates. Business and Workers’ Compensation coverage provided and serviced by af liated and third party insurers. liated and third by af and serviced provided Compensation coverage Workers’ Business and liates. Af & Co. Casualty Ins. Progressive USFoods.com/foodfanatics | FOOD FANATICS 1 Your Summer 2019 Food Fanatics® Go om t grl magazine is here! Summer in the restaurant business means many things today: deck parties and beer gardens, cool drinks and desserts to quench the mid- t rden party USFoods.com/foodfanatics year swelter – but with enough grilled delicacies to keep a fire burning Inspired by the French pastry, our Hilltop Hearth® 4.5" Brioche US FOODS ADVISORY BOARD in your diners’ bellies. President and Chief Executive Officer Bun has a light-yellow crumb and a rich, buttery flavor. It’s perfect Pietro Satriano to partner with the juiciest, meatiest hamburgers or pulled pork Chief Merchandising Officer With the right touches to your operation, summer can be a season Andrew Iacobucci barbecues and accompanying sauces. Our brioche hamburger for big profits, too. In this issue of Food Fanatics, we’ll show you how Senior Vice President, Marketing bun is perfect for both the casual burgers and sophisticated Diane Hund grill-prepared desserts – like the decadent Elvis Coal-Roasted Banana sandwiches on your menu. Senior Vice President, Innovation and Quality Stacie Sopinka Boat you see on our cover – have become the industry’s hottest new trend. To fan those flames, we’ll tell you how resourceful operators are Hilltop Hearth 4.5" Brioche Bun | APN 6534430 Vice President, Creative Jovo Balach making the most of sustainable seafood, and we’ll highlight the spicy Manager, Content Marketing Jasmine Jones rise of Afro-Caribbean cuisine – from a strictly shorts-and-sandals affair to an elevated fine-dining experience. CHEF CONTRIBUTORS/RESTAURANT OPERATION CONSULTANTS Jeffrey Bland, Salem, VA John Byrne, At Large Eric Bogardus, Seabrook, NH Keeping the focus on your bottom line, we show you how some Charles Ramseyer, Pacific Northwest restaurants are leaning into the meal-kit craze – and growing their profits in the process. If you have square footage to spare, exploring PUBLISHING PARTNER Feedback We welcome your comments. the grocerant concept is another idea we recommend that can make Contact Food Fanatics at: [email protected] on-the-go easy for your customers, while boosting your business. And Content Chief Laura Yee Contact Bite This Media at: [email protected] learn how to increase your margins and decrease stress on-site by Creative Director Joline Rivera Unless otherwise specified, all embracing, rather than shunning, diners with dietary restrictions. It’s all correspondence sent to Food Managing Editor Fanatics is assumed for publication covered in the pages ahead. Peter Gianopulos and becomes the copyright property of US Foods. Contributing Writers Lisa Arnett Advertising Information But building your best business isn’t only about profits – it’s about Kate Bernot For rates and a media kit, contact Amber Gibson Jasmine Jones, (847) 720-2578 or people, too. In Speak Easy, a conversation with Talk Shop Live alum Alison Grant email [email protected]. Alicia Kennedy Food Fanatics is the go-to source Kiki Louya reveals strategies for helping operations bridge the pay Matt Kirouac for the foodservice industry and Kate Leahy anyone truly passionate about gap between front- and back-of-house staff. And to give all those Megan Rowe food, food people and improving Mike Sula the bottom line. Issued quarterly employees the tools to thrive in their roles, our Jack of All Trades section and hand-delivered to readers, the Copy Editor magazine is a US Foods publication covers how you can leverage technology to cross-train for a killer team. Natalie Jew produced by Bite This Media. Cover Photography For more information on the Eva Kolenko Food Fanatics program, visit ® USFoods.com/foodfanatics. At US Foods , we’re staying in touch with the latest industry Photographers All rights reserved. © Eva Kolenko trends, and working with our suppliers to ensure you have the Kat Foley Frank Lawlor most up-to-date information, advice and tools to make this summer your most rewarding yet. About US Foods Enjoy the issue! US Foods is one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 250,000 chefs, restaurateurs and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed. With nearly 25,000 employees and more than 60 locations, US Foods provides its customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology and business solutions. US Foods is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois, and generates approximately $25 billion in annual revenue. Discover more at usfoods.com. For more information, visit usfoods.com Andrew Iacobucci or contact your US Foods® representative Chief Merchandising Officer and reference the product number. US Foods 9300 W. Higgins Rd. Suite 500 EXCLUSIVE Rosemont, IL 60018 (847) 720-8000 BRAND usfoods.com © 2019 US Foods, Inc. 03-2019 FOF-2019030606 FOOD Make a splh Yron yr w menu SEA WITH OUR BARRAMUNDI Our line of barramundi from Harbor Banks® offers you a versatile whitefish and hotan opportunity to turn yourspot menu into a masterpiece. Our barramundi are ocean-farmed and chemical-free, with a moderate oil level that keeps the fish moist and tender, so they won’t dry out during cooking. With their consistent CHANGE size and individual-vacuum packaging, this line of fish shows where easy preparation meets creative presentation. Harbor Banks Barramundi | APN 3699448 Harbor Banks Barramundi Portions | APN 9478582 Harbor Banks Skinless Barramundi | APN 6633024 4 ways to net a For more information, visit usfoods.com or contact your US Foods® representative profitable and and reference the product number. sustainable catch EXCLUSIVE BY KATE LEAHY BRAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY EVA KOLENKO © 2019 US Foods, Inc. 03-2019 FOF-2019030606 USFoods.com/foodfanatics | FOOD FANATICS 5 Ligurian Wood- Roasted Branzino Chef Amy Brandwein Centrolina, Washington, D.C. 1 branzino, scaled, gutted deboned, spine intact 2 sprigs rosemary 2 sprigs thyme 1 lemon, thinly sliced Kosher salt, as needed Freshly ground black pepper, as needed 1 Roma tomato, quartered When a prolonged 2 tablespoon Taggiasche black toxic algae bloom olives, whole, pitted known as red tide 4 fresh basil leaves, plus 2 Wpostpones local leaves chiffonade crab season or catch Olive oil, as needed limits are placed 1 ounce white wine on bluefin tuna, 4 slices potato confit, consumers and chefs recipe follows alike are reminded 2 tablespoons pecorino, grated that the global supply of seafood is far from Butterfly branzino and stuff limitless. with herbs and lemon slices; tie But awareness in with string. Season fish with salt environmentally and pepper. responsible fishing— from procuring more Place tomatoes, olives and four plentiful species basil leaves on sheet pan. Place to breakthroughs branzino on top. Drizzle with olive oil in aquaculture and and white wine. Roast in wood-fired fish processing— oven at 650 F for 10 minutes. has made inroads in sustainability, To plate, place four pieces of popularizing potato confit on the plate to form a varieties and square shape and top with pecorino making them followed by tomato and fish. Drape more affordable, with chiffonade basil and drizzle with such as branzino, olive oil and salt. Makes 1 serving. barramundi and Arctic char. Today, To make potato confit: Cut 2 large it’s more important unpeeled and scrubbed Yukon Gold than ever to serve potatoes into ¼-inch-thick slices seafood that and place in baking dish with 2 cups satisfies two needs: extra-virgin olive oil, 2 dried bay diners seeking leaves, 2 smashed garlic cloves, ¼ healthier options teaspoon whole black peppercorns and their interest and ½ tablespoon of salt.