NEXT COURSE ® IT’S easy to please WITH GFS® SHRIMP THE MAGAZINE FOR CUSTOMERS OF GORDON FOOD SERVICE® The Demographics of Flavor The Demographics of FALL 2014 The Demographics of Flavor page 4 Containing “Little” Costs page 14 GORDON FOOD SERVICE FOOD GORDON Use GFS Shrimp for an appetizer that’s quick and easy. The convenience of fully cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp gives you a food-safe seafood dish in less prep time than other shrimp Comfort Food Goes Global page 26 options. Choose these high-quality tiger shrimp for a delicious seafood cocktail or scampi that’s sure to please your customers. On-Trend Recipes Featuring a Quinoa Romesco Burger For more information on GFS brand products, contact your Gordon Food Service page 38 ® Customer Development Specialist. FALL 2014 U.S. $6.00 CAN $7.00 For product information, see page 67 Dishes of distinction start here. Gordon Food Service® and our retail GFS Marketplace® stores are here to provide gfsmarketplace.com convenient foodservice products and serve the (800) 968-6525 needs of our customers. Stop in to find thousands of bulk-packaged products at a great value. Midwest Store Hours: Mon.–Sat., 7 a.m.–8 p.m. • Sunday, 12 p.m.–5 p.m. Florida Store Hours: Mon.–Sat., 7 a.m.–8 p.m. • Sunday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Find us on: No Membership Fee • Open Seven Days a Week For product information see page 67. Foodservice / Food Packaging For more information, please contact your Gordon Food Service® Customer Development Specialist For product information see page 67. Next Course® A Refreshed Next Course A Quarterly Publication Of all the buzzwords in the foodservice industry, “fresh” is one of the most important. of Gordon Food Service® Now, more than ever, diners crave the freshest food, and chefs seek out the freshest ® Editor ................Andy Maier ingredients. At Gordon Food Service , we are serious about freshness in all things and are dedicated to meeting that demand. We throw in a little something extra, too: Managing Editors .....Kelly Kowalczyk fresh concepts and insights into the foodservice industry that help strengthen our Kathy Perry customers’ operations. Advertising Assistant ..Kelly Kowalczyk In keeping with our emphasis on freshness, we’re proud to bring you a refreshed Editorial Advisers ......Gerry Ludwig, CEC Next Course. To prepare for the redesign, we did what all good operators do: We Dave Scholten Ken Wasco gathered feedback, and then we acted on it. Our refreshed look is designed to be Jonathan M. Weis eye-catching and to make the information we deliver a quick take for busy foodservice operators. Also be sure to check out the new digital version of Next Course that’s now Recipe Development ..Ed Westerlund, CEC available online. In addition to providing links to more information, it lets you connect Photography .........Julie Line directly to our videos and add products to your cart. Ask your Customer Development Big Event Studios Specialist for the link or visit GFS Experience® at gfs.com. Chuck Whitman Whitman Photography Of course, within these pages you’ll find the same level of comprehensive and reliable Steve Johnson foodservice-industry news and analysis you’ve always been able to count on. In our Steve Johnson Media Features section, we take a fresh look at how to serve the two demographic groups of the greatest importance to the foodservice industry: baby boomers (the biggest spenders) Food/Prop Stylist .....Michelle Callaghan-Hale and millennials (who, thanks to their sheer numbers, are emerging as a dining force to Account Directors .....Jordan Buning be reckoned with). In this issue, you’ll also learn how to cut costs in areas beyond food Ryan Roff and labor, as well as how to guard against data breaches. Our culinary coverage includes ddm marketing & tasty tidbits about specialty breads, global comfort food, and what you need to know communications about satisfying demand for gluten-free foods. And don’t miss our fabulous fall lineup of Editorial Director .....Robin Watson recipes—it’s sure to satisfy and delight customers hungry for something new. Design ...............ddm marketing & communications Do let us know what you think of our redesign. Tell us what you think and what you need. We’re always eager for input. Email us at [email protected] and let us know. Please address inquiries and comments We’re listening. to [email protected]. Contact your Gordon Food Service Customer Development Specialist for more information. Andy Maier Gordon Food Service 1300 Gezon Parkway S.W. Gordon Food Service Next Course Editor Wyoming, MI 49509 Telephone ............(800) 968-6474 Fax ..................(616) 717-7600 Web. gfs.com Check out the new digital version of Next Course magazine at gfs.com/nextcourse. 2 | NEXT COURSE gfs.com Fall Features 4 The Demographics of Flavor Expert Advice Generational Differences are Playing Out on Menus 20 The Human Touch By Dave Scholten 10 Guarding Against Data Breaches Be Ready to Protect Customers and Your Operation from Thieves 24 Embracing the Gluten-Free Opportunity By Gerry Ludwig, CEC 14 Containing “Little” Costs 57 The Care and Feeding of Managers Trim Costs Beyond Food and Labor for a Beefier Bottom Line By Ken Wasco 18 Food Feature: Specialty Breads are on a Roll 64 Tipping Points By Jonathan M. Weis 26 MenuMaker: Comfort Food Goes Global Profiles 28 Red Chucks, White China 38 On-Trend Recipes Fancy Food and Fun Pair Well at a 10 New Recipes Multiunit Ohio Gastropub Operation 52 The Pride of St. Louis An Irish Chef Creates Adventurous Fare at a Missouri Country Club 60 The Wheel Deal Authentic Mexican Food is a Florida Operator’s Engine of Success Departments 23 Manager’s Memo 34 Trendspotting 38 Recipes 67 Advertiser Index 68 From the Other Side of the Table Stay connectedCMYK / .ai with Gordon Food Service gfs.com/email gfs.com/blog Printed on paper containing a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste fiber. NEXT COURSE gfs.com | 3 Demographers use generational categories to define groups of people who share life experiences (e.g., social and economic conditions, pop culture, politics, and technologies). These experiences give rise to shared values, attitudes, and characteristics. Marketers study these generational differences to craft messages that appeal to different age groups. The Demographics By Patrick Bax 4 | NEXT COURSE gfs.com Three generations possess the lion’s share of purchasing power today: baby boomers, Generation X, and millennials. Not every member of a generation thinks and acts the same way, but members share enough similarities to guide restaurant operators in developing brands, concepts, and menus that maximize today’s profits and help ensure the future viability of their business. Before evaluating generational differences, consider what Chicago-based research firm Technomic Inc. refers to as the “primary need states” of restaurant consumers. These desires are universal, crossing generational divides. Everybody wants: • Affordable prices. • Fresh, high-quality food. • A meal and overall experience that are worth the price paid. • Fast or prompt service. • Accurate orders. of Flavor It’s the “secondary need states” that differentiate the generations. » NEXT COURSE gfs.com | 5 Generational Divides Demographers differ on the age ranges of each Millennials group, but they’re near unanimous in the way Technomic categorizes millennials as those born between they characterize generational traits. 1977 and 1992. The Chicago-based market-research firm Datassential broadens that definition and tracks both “adult Baby Boomers millennials” (who it deems to have been born between 1979 Technomic defines boomers as those born between 1947 and and 1988) and “young millennials” (born between 1989 and 1965—making them between 50 and 68 years old today. 1995). When considering the drivers and behavior of this group, it’s important to note that there are differences between Boomers are currently the largest generation, though younger and older millennials. millennials will outnumber them by 2030, according to Technomic Consumer Research Manager Anne Mills. Boomers “The younger ones are just starting out in life and are also dwarf the other two groups in terms of spending power— likely still in school,” Mills says. “The older ones are more more than 12 times that of either group on its own. established.” These secondary need states drive boomers: Datassential Senior Director Maeve Webster advises operators • Price and value. to focus on adult millennials now, since they have more • Friendly, attentive servers and staff. spending power. • A variety of appealing, healthy options. In spite of the age span, both older and younger, Technomic “Boomers may be new empty nesters or they may be reports that millennials share these secondary need states: contemplating retirement,” Mills says. “They have more • A desire to be able to customize meals. time to sit and enjoy meals. They gravitate toward full- • A group-friendly menu and/or ambience. service restaurants.” • Craveable foods and beverages. • New or unique foods and flavors. Generation X Born between 1966 and 1976, Generation X is the smallest of Cultural diversity is one of the most salient characteristics of the three age groups, with the smallest spending power. Their millennials, according to Mills. This group contains many more secondary need states are: Latinos, Asians, and Middle Easterners, who grew up eating • A fun, upbeat restaurant atmosphere. home-cooked dishes that reflect their heritage. This, along with • A menu and/or ambience that’s good for groups. a rise in interracial marriages, a surge in TV cooking shows, and • Preferred beverages, including adult beverages. the ubiquity of Internet access, has given the millennial group more exposure to different cultures and cuisines. “Gen Xers are in the mid-life phase,” Mills says. “They’re starting and raising families, and are looking to balance work and life.