ProStart gives students head start in culinary professions

Each year, the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) hosts teams across the state in its annual ProStart Student Invitational. This year, 27 teams took part in either the Culinary Competition or the Management Competition.  For some schools, this was the first time they made the trip to New Orleans for the two-day events. This was the second of a multi-year relationship with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, the competition’s title sponsor, and was represented by Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, who addressed the students, teachers and parents during the awards ceremony. Teams in both competitions had to incorporate Louisiana seafood into their menus.

For Fontainebleau’s ProStart instructor Stacy Russell, this is the first time she prepared students for competition. She came to Fontainebleau after 15 years in the restaurant industry, having worked for the Taste Buds restaurant group, whose concepts include Zea Rotisserie & Grill, Semolina Restaurant and Mizado Cocina.

“Teaching the ProStart students in the classroom takes the same management techniques as those I used every day in a restaurant,” Russell said. “The great thing about coming into this position is I can give them a real world account of restaurant operations.”

Preparing for the culinary competition takes mentoring and practice. Matt Jones, a graduate from American Institute, and currently with the Besh Restaurant Group, consulted with the Fontainebleau team on their menu. Some items didn’t make the cut with the students.

“Early on the students were considering seared redfish and smoked tuna,” Russell added. “The team finally settled on pepper seared tuna steak, a pan seared duck breast and panna cotta for their three courses.”

“We practiced twice a week for three hours over the course of six weeks to perfect our organization, communications and time management,” said Brianna Alongi, Fontainebleau ProStart II student. “This process really forces us to work as a team and that is such a valuable experience.”

During the Culinary competition, judges monitor and score the team’s organization and teamwork, time management and safety and sanitation. Barry Blue, a retired registered sanitarian with 30 years of experience, carefully reviews all aspects of the team’s dishes and has participated as a judge for several years.

“Personal hygiene, cross contamination and sanitation are the three main areas I’m looking at when judging,” Blue said. “These teams are highly trained in these areas as ServSafe methods and techniques are used in their coursework and preparation.”

Sweeney: Industry's future depends on embrace of change, technology

Dawn Sweeney, NRA
President/CEO

Restaurants are standing at the brink of truly defining the 21st century for foodservice, National Restaurant Association president and CEO Dawn Sweeney said during a special presentation during NRA Show 2014.

In a session titled “The Future of the American Dream,” Sweeney talked with Bernie Marcus, the legendary co-founder of Home Depot; Eric Lefkofsky, CEO of online couponing site Groupon; and Jennifer Wesley, head of industry for restaurants at Google, about the future of restaurants.

Comparing the restaurant industry in 2014 to 1919, when the National Restaurant Association got its start, Sweeney noted that there were about 43,000 restaurants in America 95 years ago, or about one eating location for every 243 Americans. 

Today, she said, there are 980,000 restaurants, roughly one eating place for every 32 people. The 2,000 percent increase in the number of restaurants, compared to a 200 percent increase in the U.S. population, makes it a different world for restaurateurs, Sweeney said. Today’s norm is not only a wide range of choices, but a world where consumers are actively educating themselves about their choices.

“In today’s world, our customers have dozens of favorite restaurants−not just one stand-by−and they are actively looking to try places they haven’t even heard of,” Sweeney noted.  “It’s a world where the flow of information from consumer to consumer is so fast we are scrambling to keep up. Word of mouth is a lot faster than it used to be.”

Restaurants are dealing with a barrage of instant information – and sometimes instant misinformation. Legislative and regulatory red tape are increasingly common. “The government keeps its hand in − often more than it should,” she said. “We are drowning in regulations and new legislation.”

Marcus agreed that the regulatory landscape for businesses is a battlefield. “Between the SEC, the FDA, the NLRB, you name it…they’re just not helpful.” He urged increased political activism to get the word out about what it takes to create jobs. 

Groupon’s Lefkofsky said restaurants need to embrace change. The mobile revolution “dwarfs anything that’s come before … You can’t avoid it because too many consumers are going to be making pivotal decisions in real time on the fly. They’ll either come into your restaurant or go to the restaurant next door based on what they see and how they interact with the information they get on that phone.”

“Consumer expectations are completely different. They want instant gratification, infinite choice, customization and personalization,” said Google’s Wesley. ““There’s almost a tipping point happening. We need to think differently. Today I challenge you to take a ‘moon shot’ − to know what your next big challenge is … because things are changing. “

McCormick chef shares secrets of healthful kids’ meals

According to Gary Patterson, executive chef/culinary for McCormick & Company, developing tasty, healthful kids’ meals takes as much work and creativity as preparing fine-dining dishes. “They've got to be appealing and have flavor,” he says.

Patterson recently oversaw the food preparation for the National Restaurant Association’s second annual Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge, of which McCormick is a founding partner. He said he was impressed with not only the sophistication of this year’s recipes, but also the more mature palates of the young children judging the contest. He talked about the importance of the competition and the future of kids’ meals at restaurants.

Why is it important for restaurateurs to offer more healthful meals for kids? Consumer demand for more healthful meals is a trend that’s maturing. We've all known for some time that we've needed to eat healthfully, and right now more people than ever before are aware of what they’re putting into their bodies and the way they eat.

What should restaurateurs understand about child nutrition and creating healthful kids’ meals? It’s more than just creating a recipe that looks nutritiously sound. The food has to be appealing. The children or young adults need to feel that the food has flavor, that it’s not just something that’s ‘good for them.’

How do you do that? You have to work as hard as any chef working on an international recipe. When you focus on children, you have to understand what it is that kids enjoy eating. Sometimes it’s about stealth health. For example, think about using spaghetti squash in a dish that may normally have pasta in it. Maybe you can add it in with the pasta and keep your traditional sauce. It’s really a little bit of everything; there’s no straight line to the target.

Do you think chefs and restaurants are succeeding? Absolutely. Ten or 15 years ago, if you had healthier items on the menu, it was a real challenge to keep them in the menu mix. Parents were so drilled into giving their kids what they wanted: fried chicken nuggets and French fries or a burger. And all of those are fine in moderation, but at the end of the day, you have to get parents eating healthfully and help them teach their children, too. It’s great that when they go out to eat now, there are all of these menu selections to point to, instead of having them go the easy route and get the meal that comes with some toy.

Do you think kids are more sophisticated now about what they want to eat? How do you appeal to that, and what makes a successful kids’ meal? That’s a double-edged question, because when you talk about children’s appetites and how what they will eat is changing, it really depends on the sophistication of the parents. I’m not a psychologist, but if parents are willing to try and eat new things and are always open, the children are going to do the same thing. I think it’s about every restaurant at every level having opportunities to present healthful options for children. That way, it’s not just the high end, fine-dining restaurants; it’s quickservice, counter service — those kinds of restaurants, too. All of them need to reach and strive for the same thing.

Is the Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge a good idea? Is it making strides? I think it is. I don’t know the exact number of entries we had last year, but I understand we had more this year. And these are top-of-the-line, large restaurant companies joining in — especially on the contract foodservice side. Those companies are really focused on this wholeheartedly and have really embraced it. They know that healthful eating is just going to become a part of the maturing of children’s and young adults’ appetites.

At the end of the day, what should chefs and restaurateurs seek to achieve? If we’re talking in general about offering healthier options, we should be thinking about moderation, understanding that flavor doesn't just come from fat and cream and salt. There are a lot of places it does come from: cooking techniques, caramelization, slow cooking and roasting. It also comes from cooking with herbs and spices. Looking in different places for all of those flavors, whether it’s from an acid or vinegar or lemon or lime juice, or just using herbs and spices, whether they’re fresh or dry, they’re all going to work in some way in a soup or salad or pasta dish.

The Kids LiveWell Recipe Challenge, held this year April 4-5 in Baltimore, showcases creative, healthful kids’ menu items at restaurants and foodservice operations. All of the recipes must meet the criteria of the NRA’s Kids LiveWell program as well as the USDA’s MyPlate nutrition guidelines.

Top reasons to attend the EXPO—August will be here before you know it!

Celebrating its 61^st year, the Louisiana Foodservice & Hospitality EXPO is a one-stop shop for all your restaurant needs—whether they are products, services or education. While the benefits are many, it’s always helpful to be reminded of why it’s an excellent idea to make the short trip to New Orleans this summer. Here are some of great things that you have to look forward to…

The EXPO is a must for restaurant owners, managers, buyers, hotel food and beverage directors and chefs. It’s the only place in Louisiana to gain valuable industry knowledge and shop hundreds of companies under one roof. 

Since its inception in 2012, the IDEA ZONE has become a fast growing draw for attendees. Expert, express presentations are held all three-days during the EXPO and cover emerging trends, best business practices and professional development. Be sure to look for the complete line-up in the summer issue of a la carte magazine and on our website.

The Great American Seafood Cook-Off will co-locate within the EXPO for the 11^th year in a row. Get a front row seat to see chefs from across the country battle it out to be crowned the King or Queen of American Seafood on Saturday, August 2, 2014. The competition takes place in the Seafood Pavilion, where attendees can find seafood offerings from Gulf Coast exhibitors and across the country. Who will represent Louisiana in the cook-off? That will be decided during the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off, which is held at the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, May 24 in New Orleans. The Great American Seafood Cook-Off is produced by the Louisiana Seafood Promotionand Marketing Board and sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The EXPO is held annually in New Orleans, and we want you to take full advantage. After you hit the show floor, make sure you take time to the Big Easy streets. The city, known world-wide for its ambience and culture has so much to offer. The EXPO shares the weekend with the Whitney White Linen Night and the Satchmo Summerfest, both free. And what’s a trip to New Orleans without indulging in one or two (or three) of its famous restaurants? The EXPO partners with the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring attendees a useful travel website with all the fun things to do and see in the city, recently ranked the 5^th in the Top 25 U.S. Destinations by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site. Plan your nighttime in New Orleans here.

In its second year of sponsorship, the Farm to Table International Symposium (F2Ti) will be held in conjunction with the EXPO. F2Ti features the brightest thought leaders and leading practitioners in the burgeoning farm-to-table movement. This year’s theme, “The Process,” examines the agricultural-culinary cycle at all levels and features its own organic urban farm research project, in partnership with the LSU Ag Center and the SoFAB Institute. The event will take place August 2-4 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

To see the full EXPO line up, visit our website here. Register to attend the EXPO today here. 

Thank you to this year’s Platinum Sponsors!

Heartland Payment Systems, Louisiana Cookin’, CapitalOne, Republic National Distributing Company, Louisiana Restaurant Association Self Insurer’s Fund, UnitedHealthcare and the LRA Education Foundation.

Gold Sponsor—Midlands; and Silver Sponsors—Fisher & Phillips, LLP and Johnson, Johnson, Barrios & Yacoubian.

Applications now being accepted for Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Fall 2014 program

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is now accepting applications for the Fall 2014 program, a $500 million investment to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing them with greater access to education, financial capital and business support services. The program currently operates in 15 markets in the U.S., including New Orleans, through a network of more than 90 academic and community partners. Over 1,200 small business owners have participated and the program continues to expand on a city-by-city basis.

Designed by Babson College, the nation’s top-ranked entrepreneurship school, the curriculum focuses on practical business skills that can immediately be applied by business owners, including negotiation, marketing and employee management.

LRA Member Phil de Gruy of
Phil's Grill in Metairie & New Orleans.

“Being able to identify areas I needed to work on and take steps to get my business on track for growth was an invaluable product of my participation in the program,” said Louisiana Restaurant Association Member Phil de Gruy of Phil’s Grill. “I learned the difference between running a restaurant and running a business.”

The curriculum is organized into nine modules, each of which includes classroom discussion, peer learning exercises, skill building and experiential applications. Classroom activities are complemented by an integrated portfolio of business services, including: one-on-one business advice, legal and financial clinics and networking opportunities.

Criteria to participate in the 10,000 Small Business program are: owner or co-owner of a business; business in operation for at least two years; business revenues between $150,000 and $4 million in the most recent fiscal year; and business with a minimum of four employees.

To get the most out of the program, business owners are asked to invest their time to engage in the following: attend a program orientation; complete 11 convenient learning sessions; participate in out-of-class activities, including completing assignments, attending networking events and business support clinics (approx. 6-8 hours a week); and create a growth plan over the course of the program.

Applications are due by June 16, 2014. For application details, click here. 

National Restaurant Assoc urges Senate to pass tax extenders bill

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) today urged the Senate to move forward on tax extender legislation and reiterated support for an amendment filed by Senator Collins (R-ME) which would temporarily restore the definition of full-time under the current health care law from 30 to 40 hours per week.

“It is critical that the Senate move forward on tax extender legislation to provide certainty for main street business and allow restaurants to continue to create jobs and promote economic growth,” said Scott DeFife, Executive Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs for the National Restaurant Association. “We are pleased that the Senate is working across the aisle on this issue, and urge Senators to continue their efforts on finding a path forward.”

The NRA also issued support for SA 3196, an amendment filed by Senator Collins that would temporarily raise the definition of full-time under ACA through 2016.

“We appreciate Senator Collins and Senators Donnelly, Scott, Isakson, Murkowski, Ayotte, Graham, Blunt, Crapo and Boozman for recognizing that the current definition of full-time under ACA places undue burden on businesses across the country,” said DeFife. “Aligning the law’s definition of full-time employee status with more traditional levels used by restaurant and foodservice operators would provide significant relief to employers.”

The ACA’s full-time employee definition has been a critical issue for the restaurant industry. The Association is continuing to work with members of both chambers to address this challenging part of the law for restaurant operators’ compliance.  

New research shows restaurant technology plays part in dining decisions

New research from the National Restaurant Association underscores that technology is playing a larger role in the restaurant dining experience. Options like online reservations, smartphone ordering and in-store kiosks are becoming more commonplace, and consumers are recognizing the benefits.

“Technology is increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives, including interaction with restaurants both remotely and onsite,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research for the National Restaurant Association.

“The operator community still faces challenges to offering more customer-facing technology options, most notably cost of implementation and per-usage cost. However, there seems to be little doubt in the minds of both operators and consumers that these options will become more prevalent in the future,” Riehle said.

According to the NRA’s research, 36 percent of consumers say they are more likely to use technology options in restaurants now than they were two years ago, and 65 percent have noticed that restaurants offer more of these options in that same timeframe.

Further, eight in 10 consumers agree that restaurant-related technology enhances convenience, and seven in 10 say it speeds up service and increases order accuracy. Forty-five percent say that technology makes their restaurant interactions more fun. Operators will want to choose carefully which technology options to offer, however, as 37 percent of consumers also say technology makes ordering more complicated.

Integrating consumer-facing technology can pay off for restaurant operators, though, as about one-third of consumers say tech options make them choose one restaurant over another, as well as dine out or order takeout/delivery more often. 

The NRA commissioned ORC International to survey 1,006 American adults on May 1-4, 2014, for their attitudes toward restaurant-related technology options.

Previous NRA research shows that nearly half of restaurant operators across segments plan to devote more resources to customer-facing technology this year.