Chipotle Unveils all-Electric Restaurant Design

Chipotle Mexican Grill unveiled a new all-electric restaurant design that utilizes renewable energy from wind and solar power through the purchase of renewable energy credits. Restaurants with the new features recently opened in Gloucester, Va., and Jacksonville, Fla., with a third location opening later this summer in Castle Rock, Colo.

“With our aggressive development goal in North America, we hold ourselves accountable to reduce the environmental impact of our restaurants,” said Laurie Schalow, chief corporate affairs officer at Chipotle. “We are aiming to incorporate some elements of our responsible restaurant design into many of our new restaurant openings going forward.”

The concept, which Chipotle is calling “responsible restaurant design,” includes key features such as:

• Rooftop solar panels, where feasible

• All-electric equipment and systems to replace gas power

• Heat pump water heaters

• Smaller electric cookline and improved exhaust hoods compared to other Chipotle kitchens

• Energy management systems (which already have been deployed in most existing restaurant locations)

• Biodegradable service ware such as cutlery, straws, bowls, cups and lids

• Cactus leather chairs

• Artwork made from recycled rice husks

• Electric vehicle charging stations at select locations

Chipotle said the restaurant design pilot will help the company progress toward its science-based targets, established in alignment with Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), to reduce direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 compared to a 2019 baseline.

Chipotle said the company will leverage new restaurant openings to scale the company’s overall impact; Chipotle has an aggressive development goal of eventually growing to 7,000 locations in North America, with plans to have more than 100 of its new locations in 2024 utilizing all-electric equipment and at least some additional elements from its new design. Chipotle added it will continue to innovate and iterate on the design over time.

To promote the company’s sustainability initiatives, Chipotle also launched a short film called “Human Nature” that will air as a national television ad. The film features side-by-side shots of humans and nature, emphasizing their aesthetic similarities while conveying the importance of individuals reconnecting physically and emotionally with the environment.

“Since its founding in 1993, Chipotle’s mindset and approach to food has always been about working with — not against — nature and using real ingredients free of any artificial flavors, colors or preservatives,” said Chris Brandt, chief marketing officer. “‘Human Nature celebrates how Chipotle serves food that is both good for you and better for the planet. Strengthening our connection with nature is key to producing responsibly raised food for generations to come.”

Chipotle also published its 2022 Sustainability Report, which showcases its efforts in three categories: People, Food and Animals, and the Environment. The full report can be found here.  —  Source: Food Business News.

Caribbean Flavors and Vibes: America’s New Favorite Food

With the slow tempo of a Bob Marley-inspired reggae playlist in the background, Peta Leiba Demuren, is chopping garlic, crushing pimento, slicing onions and peppers, and marinating chicken for a busy night of fulfilling online food orders.

Chef Peta, as she is known, learned the art of authentic Jamaican cooking from her mother. Now, she’s the chef and owner of JAQCC’s Belly, a modern Afro-fusion restaurant that moved from Washington, D.C.’s Petworth neighborhood to Cleveland Park. With a unique melding of Jamaican, Nigerian, and Cuban flavors adorning her menu, Leiba Demuren believes that Caribbean cuisine is rooted in dynamic spices, passion, and the joy that arises from good memory.

“Caribbean food has highly impacted everything I know about existing, including every good memory,” said Leiba Demuren, 38, a native-born Jamaican. “Our food has a lot of earthy flavors like coconut milk, jerk seasoning, curry, thyme, and pimento, making our flavor wholesome, fresh, and tropical at the same time.” For decades, Jamaican carry-outs, Trinidadian bakeries, and Caribbean grocery stores have occupied storefronts throughout some of America’s most populated cities and thrived in various urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods that make up the United States’ vast landscape. As one of the trending flavors in the National Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot 2023 Culinary Forecast,” the bold flavors of Caribbean cuisine represent a new era in America’s culinary scene.

According to Tim Carman, a Washington Post food writer, and under-the-radar restaurant expert, the modern revival of Caribbean food has been linked to greater media attention and the adaptation of well-known Caribbean dishes, such as Jerk Chicken, by mainstream restaurants.

“Diners are more interested in all sorts of different food,” said Carman. “In Caribbean food, you get many different influences from the indigenous population of the islands, Africa, some Spanish influences, and it all comes together in this amazing cuisine.”

To understand these influences, Chef Don Berto believes one must first understand the bittersweet history of the Caribbean. As a native-born Haitian and restauranteur, Berto describes Caribbean food as an expression of culture, creole flavor, and peculiar past coming together on a plate. – Source: Forbes.

ACCORDING TO IBIS WORLD, THE NUMBER OF SUSHI RESTAURANTS IN THE U.S. HAS GROWN BY 4.8 PERCENT IN 2023 TO MORE THAN 19,600 BUSINESSES . . . 

The Sushi Surge Isn’t Letting Up

In a 1991 episode of The Simpsons, Lisa convinces the family to try a new sushi bar restaurant—which was clearly a novelty not only for Homer, but for the entire audience, since Lisa had to explain the concept of sushi. Since then, the Japanese dish has become one of the most popular food categories in the U.S., inching closer to “mainstream” status and appealing to the health-conscious eater as well as the adventurous, globally-minded consumer.

While the vast majority of U.S. sushi restaurants have typically been single-unit independents, America’s growing palate for high-quality fish and novel, international foods have spurred emerging concepts to try its hand at crafting the platters of rolled rice with various fillings and toppings.

According to IBIS World, the number of sushi restaurants in the U.S. has grown by 4.8 percent in 2023 to more than 19,600 businesses, yet there are no companies with more than 5 percent market share—leaving a large opportunity open for growing concepts.

Austin, Texas-based Hai Hospitality—parent of Uchi, Uchiko, Uchibā, and Loro—aims to create items that are both approachable yet unique, such as its signature ham and eggs roll with a crispy pork belly filling. The dish features classic flavors like pork, beer, and mustard, yet plays into breakfast with an egg yolk emulsion.

“We have embraced a more global vision in our sushi bars. We lean into everything from Southeast Asian flavors and technique to classic French,” says Jack Yoss, vice president of culinary at Hai Hospitality.

Hai’s culinary team skews younger, which helps drive the menu innovation process towards newer trends, like embracing gluten-free, vegan/vegetarian options without sacrificing their ethos, Yoss says. In fact, two of his favorite nigiri pieces are vegetarian—the avocado and kinoko (mushroom nigiri).

“Ten or 15 years ago, no one used fish sauce outside of authentic SE Asian restaurants, and we were making a fish caramel and using fish sauce to season meats and vegetables. Now, fish sauce has become so popular, you see it everywhere,” Yoss says about shifting sushi trends. “It’s the same thing with kimchi. It is much more popular now than it was a decade ago.”

But the hottest trend on the rise in 2023 is the omakase room. “Omakase” translates to “respectfully leaving another to decide what is best” in Japanese, and is a traditional, chef-crafted, multi-sushi course dining style.

Omakase sushi menus typically include introductory dishes such as sashimi or simmered dishes, then move on to nigiri sushi. Nigiri sushi, or a small rice ball topped with a slice of fish, is commonly served in traditional Japanese and fine sushi dining, as opposed to the more popular sushi roll in the U.S. However, nigiri sushi will likely become more mainstream in the U.S. market and appear with a lower price point in different types of restaurants and on to-go menus, predicts Taka Tanaka, CEO of commercial sushi robot provider, Autec.

“A rise in sushi consumption, even in landlocked states, has influenced chefs to be more creative with culinary styles and environmental conscientiousness,” Tanaka says. He predicts modern consumers’ attention to sustainable practices will lead restaurants to be more intentional about sourcing sustainable seafood.

When trying to grow sushi concepts across U.S. markets, embracing a more inviting and basic take for guests less familiar with the cuisine can lead to greater (and faster) adoption. For example, when Japanese-founded Kura Sushi was entering its first market outside of California, the team made a deliberate effort to build out a side menu with noodle bowls, rice dishes, and fried chicken to appeal to more customers, says Haijime “Jimmy” Uba, CEO and president.

“Looking at our overall menu, practically everything that we serve has been tailored to the American palate, and the only menu items we have in common with our parent would be basic nigiri sushi,” Uba says. “At the same time, we maintain our authenticity by using the same ingredients and cooking methods as we use in Japan.”

This strategy was successful and laid the brand’s foundation for expanding into markets like Texas and Georgia. Now, Kura Sushi has more than 500 locations across the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan, and grew its U.S. footprint by 28 percent in the fiscal year 2021.

The restaurant provides a technology-forward experience complete with conveyor belts, prize dispensers, and sushi servers, Uba says.

“Our technology has allowed us to fully automate work traditionally performed by executive chefs. We reinvest these labor savings back into our food, and we only use ingredients that are free from artificial colorings, sweeteners, preservatives, and seasonings,” Uba says. “Not only does our technology create a truly unique dining experience, but it allows us to serve higher quality food than your typical mom-and-pop sushi restaurant, and at more affordable prices, as well.”

Meanwhile, Rock N Roll Sushi’s approach involves playing Metallica, AC/DC, and Van Halen in restaurants to make construction workers and people with kids feel welcome, says Chris Kramolis, who joined the company as a franchisee before being named CEO in October 2020.

The brand also puts an Americanized twist on sushi by frying and baking rolls as an entry point for the sushi-shy or sushi-curious—with names like the VIP Roll, Punk Rock Roll, and the British Invasion Roll—while also offering traditional sashimi and nigiri sushi.

Since opening in Mobile, Alabama, in 2010 and franchising since 2015, the concept has grown to more than 60 locations. Rock N Roll Sushi plans to be “aggressive” in its expansion and is set to “destroy in the Midwest,” Kramolis adds, as they’re looking at opening new locations in Michigan and Ohio.

“[Rock N Roll Sushi] has made sushi approachable and brought this food to regular Americans that possibly have been interested, but really weren’t invited to the game, because sushi was typically at a higher price in a higher-end place,” Kramolis adds. – Source: fsr.

Summer’s almost here, and customers are making leisure plans. Better your odds to attract staff to handle the increased traffic . . . .

Top Hiring Tips for Seasonal Demands

• With outdoor dining, you expand seating capacity but you’ll need to staff up to serve al fresco spaces.
• As of early April, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported February job numbers that showed the accommodation and foodservice sectors still had about 1.2 million job openings. Summertime and holidays create even more demand for labor as people tend to eat out more often.
• Seasonal employees can help you staff up for this increased business. Here are some hiring tips.
• Get started now. Ideally, you should give yourself 120 days to find and hire staff, but it’s not too late to start. Identify your restaurant’s needs. Determine the dates you need temporary workers and the positions you need to be filled.
• Publish and promote job listings. Emphasize the experience, not just the duties.
• Target the right applicants. In the summer, students and teachers will be your best source of recurring seasonal employees as they’re more likely to be searching for jobs when they’re not teaching or studying.
• Contact local schools and universities to advertise job postings through their job boards.
• Post your job listings to restaurant-industry-specific job sites like Poached(Opens in a new window), Culinary Agents(Opens in a new window), or RestaurantZone(Opens in a new window).
• Geo-locate want-ad media to within about 10 miles of the job location.
• Hire your biggest fans—your customers. Advertise seasonal openings through your restaurant’s social media.
• Partner with other restaurants to host a seasonal job hiring fair.
• Ask current employees for referrals. Offer an incentive to permanent staff if their recommendations get hired.
• Keep expectations clear in the job description; make sure it’s current, accurate, complete, concise, and easily understood.
• Attract seasonal hires with what they want most:
• Flexible scheduling.
• A chance to make a difference. Gen Z’s are looking for meaning. For example, highlight your efforts to be sustainable, or your menu’s emphasis on real ingredients and real purpose, which resonate with young job seekers. Let them know you’ll empower them to be part of that.
• Open and transparent communication. Gen Z (or “Zoomers”) aren’t satisfied with just being told to do something—they also want to know why.
• A sense of community. Make them feel they’ll be part of something bigger.
• To work with friends and have fun.
• Financial incentives. Offer a signing bonus—a restaurant gift card, or cash. Give them $1.00/hr. more for taking an extra shift, $2.00 for two shifts, etc.
• Consider jobs for younger teens. Check local ordinances for ages and hours teens can work in the summer. Restaurants are historically great first job opportunities.
• Use tech to reach applicants, especially younger ones. The BLS indicates that by next year, the 16-24-year-old demographic will have declined by 2.8 million since 2017. You’ll have to compete hard to attract talent from a smaller pool.
• Simplify applications so they fit on a text screen and reduce the number of questions needed to get an interview. Use social media—Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.—to engage potential applicants with a link to your “Jobs” or “Careers” page. Once a candidate has applied for a job, take some decisive action within 24 hours, and interview them via text.
• Hire the best talent. Look for emotional skills (see Personality traits below) when applicants come to you with minimal industry experience.
• Stay on brand. Your messaging to applicants should display your company’s culture. If your restaurant is casual and fun, your messaging should be, too. If you operate a white tablecloth fine dining restaurant, your appeal should reflect that.
• Use technology to simplify the onboarding process. Software and/or apps can help speed up the paperwork.
• Use permanent staff for training. They know your operation and your culture and will acclimatize new hires faster. And they’ll have a vested interest in making sure new hires get up to speed quickly. Pairing veterans with newbies also gives seasonal employees quick feedback on how they’re doing, raises self-confidence on both sides, and improves service.
• Give them a reason to come back. If you have valuable seasonal employees, offer them incentives to come back next year. Keep their contact info for the following year’s hiring campaign.
• Stay in touch and ask for their feedback. You may think you only need seasonal staff, but your needs can change quickly and often. Restaurant turnover is higher than in almost any other industry, and having a list of potential seasonal or permanent employees is worth its weight in gold. Ask seasonal employees how you can improve the hiring process or their employment experience

Personality traits to look for

• Danny Meyer, founder, and executive chairman, of Union Square Hospitality Group, New York, has suggested in interviews and his memoir, Setting the Table(Opens in a new window), that certain personality traits can be more predictive of a job applicant’s success in a restaurant than experience on a resumé.

Emotional skills he looks for are:

• Kindness and optimism. The restaurant industry can be bruising and brutal. Long hours are more tolerable when surrounded by friendly, upbeat people.
• Intellectual curiosity. People who approach each moment as an opportunity to learn something new will provide great service, advance quickly and bring value to your organization.
• Work ethic. Being able to learn how to do a job is one thing, but the desire to do it as well as it can be is even more valuable.
• Empathy and self-awareness. People who are aware of how their actions affect others and who have empathy will put customers and co-workers first.
• Integrity. Doing the right thing, even when no one else is looking, is a sign of how someone will treat your staff, your restaurant, and your customers. – Source: — National Restaurant Association.

Starbucks Names Brad Lerman as General Counsel

The executive was most recently with Medtronic, a healthcare technology provider Starbucks Names Brad Lerman as General Counsel The Seattle, Wash.-based coffee brand said Lerman would assume the post on May 8. He succeeds acting general counsel Zabrina Jenkins, who served in the role the past year.

“Zabrina will lead a successful transition with Brad,” said Laxman Narasimhan, Starbucks CEO, in a note Wednesday to the company staff, “and then we look forward to sharing a new role in the company for Zabrina that maximizes her depth of experience, capabilities, and leadership in the future.”

Most recently, Lerman served as senior vice president, general counsel, and corporate secretary at Medtronic, a healthcare technology provider, where he led the global legal function, government affairs, and the office of ethics and compliance across the U.S., South America, Europe, and Asia. Earlier, he served in similar leadership roles at the Federal National Mortgage Association and Pfizer, where he led the company’s litigation and investigations teams.

Lerman’s background also includes more than two decades as a private practice litigation and intellectual property attorney advising leading consumer brands, eight years as an assistant U.S. attorney, and as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University School of Law. He also serves on the board of directors of McKesson, a leader in healthcare services.

The company said Lerman will be relocating from Minneapolis, Minn., to Seattle.

Narasimhan said in a statement: “We are excited to welcome Brad, who brings a tenure of experience leading companies through some of their most challenging issues across international markets and working closely with regulators around the world. His expertise in both the public and private sectors will strengthen our decision-making, protect and advance the business and brand of Starbucks in the markets in which we operate, and further develop our legal and compliance talent.”

Lerman said: “The strength of Starbucks’ leadership team and board of directors, coupled with the talented Starbucks law and corporate affairs team, is what excites me most as we look to advance a bold mission and vision for the future of Starbucks.”

Starbucks, founded in 1971, has more than 36,000 stores worldwide.  – Source:  NRN.

Uno Restaurants recently sold its retail division, Uno Foods, so it could focus solely on franchise growth . . . .

Why Uno Pizzeria & Grill is Focused on Hotels for its Growth Uno Restaurants has been around since 1943 and has built a legacy around its signature Chicago deep dish pizza. Access to that legacy expanded in 1988, when the company launched Uno Foods to get its products onto grocery shelves.

Now, the company wants to shift its focus to just growing restaurants through franchising. To sharpen that focus, Uno Restaurants recently sold its Uno Foods Division to Great Kitchens, a Chicago-based manufacturer of take and bake pizzas. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, though in a recent interview, Uno CEO Erik Frederick said the brand “benefits from the other side of the transaction.”

“From a strategic standpoint, it just seemed like we had this side gig that was taking up a lot of our time. It was a distraction,” Frederick said. “We sold it to the right company. They love the brand and will take care of the brand. They’re great at manufacturing and will put the product on more shelves for us. Running a manufacturing operation is very different than running a restaurant. We couldn’t do the manufacturing part well and we found someone who could.”

Uno now includes about 80 company-owned and franchised locations across 18 states, Washington, DC, India and Saudi Arabia. The company has opened five new units throughout the last 12 months and Frederick said he’d love to have 10 new locations open by the end of this year. The pace is swift, and the pipeline is strong and Frederick believes the company has found this cadence by focusing specifically on hotel locations.

“Pizza gives you the added revenue streams from takeout and delivery, whereas with general casual dining, you wouldn’t get that upside in a hotel location. And because we’re full-service, guests can get more than pizza, like chicken, appetizers and pasta,” he said.

For franchisees, there are also the benefits of having a built-in audience, which Frederick says inoculates these new restaurants from some of the competitive pressures that exist when opening a standalone restaurant. Additionally, hotels already have the site selection, permitting and liquor license taken care, as well as other regulatory processes, like grease traps.

“They’re already in the hospitality business, so they have a lot of this stuff done. I just have to vet them to make sure they’ll care of the brand. The time to market is incredibly quick,” Frederick said.

Therein perhaps lies the biggest advantage in pursuing hotel locations. With Covid-related supply chain disruptions and labor shortages still playing catch up, “time to market” has been anything but quick in the industry. Frederick said the company is looking most closely at hotels that are going through a refresh or remodel to keep franchisees’ costs down. He adds that the benefits run both ways.

“If you are in the hotel business and you want to franchise a certain brand, like Marriott, you’re required to have a full-service restaurant just to be part of that brand. But you’re probably not making any money operating that restaurant because you’re a hotel operator,” Frederick said. “That’s where us coming in with a franchised model can provide a revenue stream and potentially make a lot of money.”

He adds that Uno locations that have already opened in hotels have doubled and tripled pre-Uno revenue numbers because of the additional revenue streams from takeout and delivery, and because pizza has lower food costs than other categories.

The timing is a bit fortuitous here. According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, 2023 room-night demand is projected to surpass pre-pandemic levels, while a majority of American Express survey respondents said they plan to travel more this year versus last year.

“We think we’re in a good position because there is there is a lot of pent-up demand for travel, a lot of hotels are going after renovations that were deferred during Covid,” Frederick said. “And, mostly, because we’re now focusing more on what we think we’re good at and that is franchising.”  — Source: NRN.

Yum Brands adopts a new packaging policy to streamline sustainability efforts.

Yum Brands’ new policy moves each of its four restaurant brands under the same packaging blueprint, including the support of better recycling systems and reusable products.

Yum Brands – the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill – recently announced it is transitioning away from plastics and developing new packaging solutions as part of that policy. Yum’s new policy includes three focus areas…

How restaurants can stay healthy during cost volatility

Three tips for protecting your business from today’s unpredictable economy.

It’s crucial for restaurants to anticipate continued volatility and prioritize the necessary investments to prepare their businesses for potential uncertainty. The right preparation and approach can equip businesses to reduce the impact. Learn these 3 strategic moves to get ahead of the competition.  – Source: NRN.

BROADWAY HOSPITALITY FINDS PROSPEROUS GROWTH IN ENERGETIC, URBAN ENVIRONMENTS WITH A GROUP OF SINGLE-UNIT ALL-STARS .  . . .

The Showstopping Approach of Broadway Hospitality

One of Broadway Hospitality’s greatest lessons over the years is that all restaurants aren’t created equal.

The Boston-based company started with Tavern in the Square in 2004 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, led by Irish immigrant Joey Arcari and Brazilian native Renato Valentim. Steven DeSousa, who serves as CEO, started as a bar manager but worked his way up to partner. Tavern in the Square opened one store every two or three years in the beginning. As the concept expanded, Broadway Hospitality found success going deeper into the suburbs where demographics are more family-driven and casual. At the same time, the company discovered that in urban settings, particularly Boston, customers don’t receive chain restaurants that well. They think of lesser quality, loss of independence, cookie cutter, and routine, DeSousa says.

While Tavern in the Square has multiple stores, Broadway never intended to give off this vibe. It wants guests to see it as a local restaurant group that feels familiar, comfortable, and consistent. That’s when the growth strategy shifted.

“We wanted to keep opening in the city,” says DeSousa. “We wanted to be in places that are young, inspired, innovative, tons of energy, and that’s when we decided that we needed to do an independent restaurant.”

The first, called The Broadway, came in 2017. It’s based in South Boston, an area akin to Silicon Valley, DeSousa says. The restaurant is surrounded by millennials and Gen Z customers in their early-to-mid 20s. They live there for about five to six years and go out six to seven nights per week. The Broadway is housed in a 9,000-square-foot industrial-sized space that’s filled with a lively environment and innovative drinks. The food focuses on appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and bowls, and not as much on heavier entrées since younger attendees prefer to go out and drink as opposed to eating hearty meals. There’s live music and DJs; DeSousa says one could go to The Broadway on a Saturday at noon and it’d feel like a Friday night at the club.

In 2019, Broadway Hospitality opened The Derby in Salem, Massachusetts, which DeSousa describes as a close-knit town. The restaurant reflects this culture by providing a local, low-key “hangout type” bar instead of a place to party. The Mercantile, which debuted last year in Worchester, Massachusetts, is based in a 13,000-square-foot building with two floors, including a roof deck and bar. The concept attracts diverse guests—younger consumers, families, business clients, and date nights. The Mercantile serves as a restaurant in the early evening and transforms into an energetic destination late at night.

Broadway Hospitality’s fourth independent is The Playwright, which has been around for years in South Boston. It’s currently closed for renovation, and the plan is to rebuild the location from a 3,000-square-foot space to 8,000 square feet. It’s down the street from The Broadway, but the two won’t cannibalize each other. Whereas The Broadway is trendy, sexy, and fun, The Playwright is going to be classic, mature, and darker. It’s a landmark in South Boston, and Broadway Hospitality will keep that intact.

Those independents are paired with about one dozen Tavern in the Square restaurants across Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The method is working, even in the face of a global virus. DeSousa says 2022 was Broadway Hospitality’s best year, with large groups itching to get out and celebrate.

“As we move forward, we’ve followed the model, which we find really great locations, suburbs, and we say, ‘these are perfect for a Tavern in the Square,’” DeSousa says. “People are going to recognize it. They’re going to want something that they know, and we open up a Tavern. But when we get into really great cities that are highly dense with really a young, energetic demographic, we create an independent.”

“ … We just found in highly dense, urban settings, they want something that seems a little bit more unique,” he adds. “They’re looking for that different experience. That’s why they tend to go more to the independent route. That was our thought process. That was our strategy. That’s what we were thinking, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do as we move forward.”

The independents also offer Broadway Hospitality the ability to implement many tactics it couldn’t do on a larger scale. For Tavern in the Square to roll out any new food or program, it takes a lot of legwork since there are multiple locations. But with an independent, there’s freer thinking, DeSousa says. Broadway Hospitality can go to The Derby, come out with a new container for bigger drinks, and turn it around quickly.

Oftentimes Broadway Hospitality will use independents as a testing ground.

“If these things work in this younger demographic that has all this energy, and they’re testing it for us, telling us that they like it, we eventually bring it out to our suburban restaurants, which is Tavern in the Square,” DeSousa says. “So it’s almost like we call them test stores to some degree. That’s [what] makes them so fun and so different for us is that we try really wild, fun, creative things in these independents to keep it new and to keep people interested.”

In 2023, Broadway Hospitality hopes to open three Tavern in the Square restaurants and reopen The Playwright sometime in December. Going forward, Tavern in the Square will continue to be the leader in growth; none of the independents will add stores. The company is hatching more single-unit concepts for Dorchester and Quincy, Massachusetts.

The key attractor, DeSousa says, is that Broadway Hospitality isn’t “five-star anything. We’re a casual place to have fun and have a great time.”

“We have a lot of great people working for us and have been with us for a long time,” DeSousa says. “And as we continue to grow, we add new people. We pride ourselves in being very much in touch with the people that work for us. And one of the biggest things I’ve seen in the growth modes—and I’m CEO/owner and I’m there every day—is that usually in these big brands, the people making decisions are some guys sitting in an office in Dallas, Texas, who have no idea what’s actually happening in the restaurants.”

“Because we’re able to do that, we’re able to get information very quickly and make decisions very quickly and be ahead of the curve when it comes to new things and new trends and what’s working,” he adds. “I think that’s what makes us different.” – Source: fsr.

Pizza Expo unveils the elements of surprise and innovation

The International Pizza Expo took place March 28-30 in Las Vegas. The themes of breaking tradition, providing surprises, and marketing sustainability dominated the expo floor, all while staying focused on producing quality, authentic pizza with real and fresh ingredients.

“You have to change with the industry and the customers,” said John Arena, owner of Metro Pizza, Henderson, Nev., a four-location chain with origins in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan. “I’m always trying for an element of surprise to provide the customer.”

Metro Pizza’s sauce is formulated with three tomato varieties. Instead of mozzarella, the company uses sharp fontina cheese. One of Mr. Arena’s specialties is “The Zamboni,” which is described as a “slap shot” of flavor with sausage, pepperoni, and roasted red peppers, all drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey after it is baked.

Sweet heat concepts were plentiful at the show. While numerous hot honey companies displayed their wares, it was the cheese marketers that showcased how peppers — everything from jalapeño to ghost — can elevate the pizza-eating experience when the pepper is paired with the proper cheese. That’s because the milkfat in cheese mellows the pungency (measured in heat units on the Scoville scale), enabling the flavor of the pepper to be tasted. Including some fruit, everything from pineapple to peaches, adds a layer of sweetness. Think raspberry chipotle pepper salsa (as the sauce), topped with smoked mozzarella and fresh arugula with a balsamic drizzle.

Odyssey Brands, Monroe, Wis., debuted smoked feta cheese at the show. Corporate chef Allen Hendricks used it to create the Odyssey Pizza, a vegetable-forward pizza with a base sauce of tzatziki topped with shredded brick cheese and smoked feta crumbles.

“This cheese features just the right amount of smoky flavor and color,” Mr. Hendricks said. “It has a slightly salty touch and tanginess that comes through from the traditional feta, and a creamy mouthfeel finish. It melts well but never turns gooey.

“Added red bell pepper, green onions, and baby spinach brings freshness to the building. The final touch is garlic-enhanced Greek yogurt swirled on the top.”

The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) used Pizza Expo to launch its Real California Pizza Competition in which chefs and culinary students entered recipes in one of three categories. Twelve finalists will prepare their creations on Aug. 2, 2023, at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa, Calif. All finalists win a cash prize. Finalists who are not category winners will receive $500 each. Category winners will each receive $5,000. The grand prize winner — judged as the best overall pizza — will receive an additional $10,000.

Contestants may choose from a selection of more than 250 varieties and styles of California cheese. The three categories are Cal-Mex (flavor fusions featuring Hispanic-style cheeses), The Real Californian (the wild card category), and Plant Forward (flavor combinations of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, etc., along with cheese).

“This on-trend flexitarian pizza recipe will deliver flavorful produce-centric toppings layered to complement cheeses made from California milk, where meats or other non-cheese proteins are considered an optional garnish or condiment,” said John Talbot, chief executive officer of the CMAB. “As the leading producer of mozzarella, as well as Hispanic-style and originals like Monterey Jack, pizza is a key foodservice category.” Cheese dominated the many pizza creations available for sampling at Pizza Expo, even Beyond Pepperoni, which made its foodservice launch at the show, was featured on pizzas made with mozzarella. A vegan option was available upon request.

Research from Beyond Meat, El Segundo, Calif., showed more than half of the 600 consumers polled in December 2022 would increase visits to a restaurant if plant-based pepperoni was available. Beyond Pepperoni delivers an authentic pepperoni experience with 50% less saturated fat and 30% fewer calories than a leading beef and pork foodservice pepperoni, according to the company. It cooks up like traditional pepperoni, with crispy, curled edges.

Beyond Pepperoni was co-developed by Beyond Meat and the culinary team at Pizza Hut, Plano, Texas. It was offered for a limited time at select locations beginning in August 2021.

The expo was more than cheese and toppings. Companies such as General Mills Foodservice, Minneapolis, hosted boot camps to help pizza makers “doughminate” when it comes to creating signature pizzas and preventing crust catastrophes. The company showcased a variety of pizza flour options, from untreated/clean label and organic flours to European-style flours.

Shepherd’s Grain, Portland, Ore., introduced pizza makers to marketing opportunities when using regeneratively grown wheat to crusts. The wheat comes from farms in Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington, and South Dakota, which have no-till practices and use crop rotations to eliminate erosion for a healthy ecosystem. Every bag of flour may be traced to the farmer and can be part of the pizza maker’s story.  – Source: Food Business News.

Question: How are some bars boosting profits? Answer: Trivia nights

KEY POINTS

• Many bars and restaurants have added trivia to bring in more guests and turn higher profits.
• Some places have clawed their way back to pre-pandemic numbers, although staffing concerns and inflation have slowed growth.
• The popularity of bar trivia is part of the rapid growth of “eatertainment,” a fusion of dining and interactive activities.

Megan Fitzgerald has always been a trivia fan, but as the director of brand experience at Talea Beer Co. in Brooklyn she wasn’t convinced it would be a good fit for the female-founded brewery.

In February, she begged friends to come to Talea’s first trivia night, fearing only a few players would show up. Instead, more than 70 patrons joined in.

When people go out, “they want something that’s enriching and engaging and is more than just taking shots or slamming beers,” Fitzgerald said. “Trivia is easy and fun, good for big groups or couples, and you can find it usually just down the block.”

After a few weeks of partnering with the NYC Trivia League to host the Wednesday night games, Fitzgerald said Talea trivia nights were bringing in nearly double the revenue of other weeknights, barring special events. The venue has consistently pulled in nearly 20 trivia teams, increasing food and beverage sales throughout the two-hour game. Bar staff gets more tips, too, she said.

Across the country, bars and restaurants are adding trivia events to their weekly or monthly schedules to bring in more guests and turn higher profits. New trivia brands have popped up in big cities and small towns, while some long-standing companies have clawed their way back to pre-pandemic numbers. However, the pace of recovery has been slow as the industry faces staffing struggles, according to trivia company leaders and restaurant owners.

While some bars craft their own trivia questions, others partner with trivia or entertainment companies, which charge a flat fee to provide questions, infrastructure, and hosts. The basic idea is to bring in teams who are vying for prizes, to boost business or use extra space on what might be a typically slower night — and build a new base of regular customers.

“Trivia is advantageous for us because it’s profitable to have it during those slower times,” said Nick Marking of The Tap Yard in the outskirts of Milwaukee, which has pulled in about 30% more revenue during trivia nights at its five locations.

“The shows run you a certain amount, and then the prizes also, so you have to look at if it’s worth it to have trivia, in the long run, considering your profit margin is anywhere between 15% and 25% in the bar world,” Marking said.

NYC Trivia League, which hosts trivia at over 100 venues across New York City, recently surpassed its weekly event count from early 2020 and the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. The league charges a flat fee for bars and is free for players.

Cullen Shaw, one of the league’s founders, said teams are larger than they were before Covid — averaging about 3.5 people — when many bars barely held on to their trivia nights. Shaw, who hosts trivia nights at The Gaf East on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, added that the league’s switch to a digital platform from pen and paper has allowed for more efficient games.

“We fill the place up, and I don’t think that would be the case if they just put on a basketball or hockey game and hoped a crowd would come in,” he said.

The growth of ‘eatertainment’

Shaw said the NYC Trivia League has recently brought in venues that never saw themselves as trivia bars, adding over a dozen to its lineup this year alone. Retention rates are up in 2023, and the league has become more selective with venues and hosts.

“I’m sure there are a million trivia apps, but there’s just something about a group competition, there’s something about community when like-minded and competitive people get together in a space to play a silly game but everybody understands the rules,” Shaw said.

According to Mike Kostyo, a “trendologist” at Datassential, the rapid growth of trivia nights is part of a broader move toward “eatertainment,” a fusion of dining and interactive activities ranging from bar trivia to pickleball-dining concepts. Eatertainment has been beneficial for many bars and restaurants given it doesn’t significantly add to labor costs, Kostyo added.

“You’re having a lot more customers in your venue, so you need more back-of-house, front-of-house staff, but it’s not something where you need to hire somebody to manage that. It’s usually an outside vendor doing the trivia program,” Kostyo said.

According to a Datassential report from last year, 82% of Americans have been to at least one eatertainment venue, and over 50% of those diners said they were “very interested” in revisiting such an experience. Eighteen percent of respondents said they would visit eatertainment venues more often if they had regular trivia nights.

“On a trivia night, we are easily doubling our sales from the previous night,” said Will Arvidson, tasting room manager at Brooklyn Brewery, who said the space usually brings in about 150 people for its Thursday trivia event. “It’s sometimes difficult for us to sit people, but we find a way.”

Victoria Dawes and Kristina Cheng, who teamed up on a recent Thursday at Brooklyn Brewery, said they’ve been playing bar trivia for about a decade and agreed it’s more popular now than pre-pandemic. Both said they carve out time each week to bond with friends and show off their random knowledge.

“I feel like we had lost so much connection with each other, and trivia has been a particularly fun way to have very normal interactions again,” Dawes said.

The rise of eatertainment comes as inflation compels more Americans to scrutinize how they spend their money.

According to Datassential’s February Table Stakes Report, 39% of consumers said they’re pulling back on eating out, though Kostyo said cost-conscious people are looking to eatertainment venues for value when they do go out.

“A lot of consumers, they’re stuck at home all day and they don’t really socialize, so they’re looking for those opportunities from the food service industry to socialize with friends and family again,” Kostyo said.

“But that doesn’t mean that they’re back in droves,” he added.

Teams can win cash prizes — as much as $50 or $100 for first place at some bars — or shots, food or free merchandise. Those possible winnings could encourage more spending from players and potentially offset costs for budget-conscious trivia-goers.

Conrad Corretti, who says his trivia team usually places in the top five at Brooklyn Brewery and other venues, said he’s been more likely to cut back on spending on other weeknights so he can spend “more liberally” at bar trivia.

“You’re showing up with your group, and you don’t really have to interact with other people, so it’s been a good activity to hang out with people you don’t always see and have a good time,” he said.

Bumpy road to recovery

With so many new venues hosting trivia nights, Kostyo cautioned bars may “cannibalize each other” as more businesses try to plant their flag in the trivia space. He’s seen more niche topics at trivia nights pull in specific audiences.

To attract more consumers, some companies, like Geeks Who Drink, have recruited new quiz masters and brought on client managers to cultivate relationships with venues. Bryan Carr, marketing director for the trivia company, said the company launched a “twitch” quiz still running today, and it maintained its 15-plus-person writing team to keep creative content flowing.

Bringing back longtime venues and onboarding new ones has been a “slow-moving process,” but the company has continued growing its presence in cities including Denver, Chicago and Austin, Texas. It does full-service pub quizzes in around 650 venues, though that number was around 1,000 pre-pandemic.

“We try to provide venues with a great starter kit to make sure that their event gets going, and we know that it takes at times two to three months to really build up that consistent following,” Carr said. “They really can see a big difference from before they had trivia and then when they have it on these slower off-nights.”

On a trivia night, we are easily doubling our sales from the previous night. … It’s sometimes difficult for us to sit people, but we find a way.

Joshua Lieberthal, the founder of California-based company King Trivia, which has venues in about 35 states, said he’s seen considerably more trivia nights today than before the pandemic. However, with tighter profit margins, many bars have been forced to do “vastly more” weekly events to stay afloat, which might explain why the company went from around 200 weekly venues in 2019 to about 325 now.

Still, about 30% to 40% of King Trivia’s pre-Covid clients went out of business, and the rebuilding process has been bumpy.

“It wasn’t like you just got back your old clients when things restarted — it was starting from scratch,” Lieberthal said. “Amazingly, we were more profitable pre-pandemic than we are today, even though we’re so much larger than we were before.”

Attendance and retention are back, more or less, to pre-pandemic levels due in part to the company’s expanded sales and customer services teams, he said. Though every week, Lieberthal said another client goes on hiatus or pushes back a launch date due to staffing troubles.

“Because everyone gets paid more, because it’s hard to staff, you need more people working behind the scenes to make it all happen,” Lieberthal said. “That’s an unfortunate reality that the breakeven point is much higher in this industry than it used to be, but thankfully so many venues want to run shows that it’s doable.”

For Wisconsin-based America’s Pub Quiz, founded in 2007 by Michael Landmann, everything from staffing to the cost of pencil boxes has slowed the company’s pace of growth compared to before the pandemic.

By 2020, the company had 205 venues in eight states. It’s now back to around 175 despite having to start from scratch and contend with the higher costs of doing business.

The company created an online system that could handle dozens more teams, but Landmann noticed many venues were unable to keep up with increased demand. Others with ample staff couldn’t find a suitable trivia host.

Tyson Sevier, general manager at Omaha, Nebraska-based Varsity Sports Cafe, which has partnered with America’s Pub Quiz for a decade, said locations have often been short one or two employees on a busy trivia night. That’s a far cry, he acknowledged, from the “employee horror stories” he said he’s heard from other bar owners in the city.

Still, trivia nights at Varsity Sports Cafe pull in $2,000 to $3,000 more compared with other weeknights, he said.

“We have more and more people calling that want to play, so I think that there’s definitely an interest such that only a couple of bars had trivia years ago and now it seems like every bar has it,” Sevier said. “You have to do it now to be competitive.” – Source: CNBC.

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