Foodservice Equipment & Supplies

Parts Town Adds Another Maker’s Parts To Inventory
With customers on six continents, the manufacturer says international reach was a decisive factor in the new distribution partnership.

Parts Town is now the exclusive distributor of OEM parts for Frontline Int’l., a manufacturer of oil management equipment.

“The international reach of Parts Town is extremely attractive to us because we have customers on six continents,” says Giovanni Brienza, senior vice president of Frontline Int’l. “With its dedication to customer service, we’re pleased our customers will have unprecedented access to genuine OEM parts no matter where in the world they are located.”

Customers ordering with Parts Town will not need to meet order minimums, and same-day delivery is offered in select locations. Orders can be placed by phone (with live phone reps available 8 a.m.-9 p.m. EST Monday-Friday), fax, email or online. Further, the company’s mobile app and mobile website include real-time inventory, parts images and equipment manuals.

Source https://www.fermag.com/

Products Featuring AI, Other Tech Earn 2024 KIs
Eight makers earn back-to-back honors, with some building new capabilities into products recognized last year.

The latest batch of Kitchen Innovations recipients announced today, Feb. 21, showcase advancements in automation, efficiency, safety enhancements and sustainability.

“The evolving landscape of technology—including developments in AI, robotic solutions, autonomous ordering and customer service—has elevated the KI Awards to expand beyond back-of-house operations to also recognize innovations that offer labor, waste and energy savings,” says Tom Cindric, president of the National Restaurant Association Show.

The recipients were selected by an independent panel of judges, including leaders from Aramark, Cracker Barrel, Walt Disney World Resort and the U.S. Air Force.

“There’s no such thing as a ‘basic’ kitchen anymore,” says judge Foster F. Frable Jr., president of Clevenger Frable LaVallee. “Menus and cuisine now incorporate ingredients, cooking and preparation methods that were unimaginable a decade ago. The KI Awards serve as a gateway to explore new products evaluated by unbiased industry experts, not just for novelty, but for genuine innovation and practicality.”

The 2024 recipients are as follows:

• Aniai—Alpha Cloud “patty quality assistant”
• Apex Order Pickup Solutions—OrderHQ Exterior Smart Food Locker
• Atosa—Auto Seasoning and Auto Packaging Station
• Blodgett—ImVection IMV-4E oven
• Broaster Co.—E-Series 24G high-volume pressure fryer
• Ecolab— Nexa Concentrates 2.0 hand hygiene system; rapid multi surface disinfectant Cleaner
• Evo America—Evo EVent open canopy hood
• Franke Coffee Systems—Mytico Due fully automatic coffee machine
• Henkelman—Aura vacuum packaging system
• Hobart—CL rack conveyor dishmachine
• Kwick Cool—Tri-Temp Kold Pak pizza prep tabletop
• Lab2Fab—PizzaBot automated pizza-making system
• Newton CFV—Discrete constant flow valve
• Pentair—Everpure EZ-RO reverse osmosis system
• Pitco Frialator—TorQ fryer
• RATIONAL—iCareSystem AutoDose combi cleaning system
• T&S Brass and Bronze Works—Y-Valve spray valve
• TechMagic Inc.—I-Robo cooking robot
• True Mfg.—True Ice machine
• Unox—Cheftop-X combi with digital ID
• Varimixer—ERGO series mixer
• Waring—Xpress multipurpose cooktop
• Wild Goose Filling—Cervizi draft beer system
• Wunder-Bar—M5 bargun

Products will be showcased in the Kitchen Innovations Showroom at the National Restaurant Association Show, taking place May 18-21 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The show also will include a session titled “The Kitchen of the Future: Kitchen Innovations Awardees Paving the Way for What’s Next” at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 18.

Source https://www.fermag.com/

Packaging Innovations Strive to Minimize or Eliminate Plastic
Once a revolutionary innovation itself, plastic has become ‘Packaging Enemy No. 1’ nowadays, as food and beverage companies move toward more environmentally friendly materials.

As food & beverage brands search for ways to stand out in a sea of similarities and a multitude of messages, some are turning to packaging innovation to separate themselves from the competition. And in this day and age, many remain sharply focused on using sustainability and environmental friendliness as the lever to convince consumers to choose their products.

Plastic packaging, and what to do about its proliferation in product and waste streams, continues to be the target du jour, with companies making headway in minimizing or eliminating plastics or incorporating recycled plastics into packaging. The past year has seen significant launches of new packaging designs and materials, aimed at helping win the battle and ditching plastic in food & beverage packaging.

In our July 2023 issue, we discussed this trend and highlighted meat processor Volpi Foods’ transition to a paper-based, recyclable backer for its sliced deli meats packaging, which uses 80% less plastic than a typical all-plastic deli-meat package. This package, in fact, went in the opposite direction of a recent meat packaging trend: letting consumers see all sides of the meat product (clear packaging all the way around).

The launches of eco-friendly packaging options didn’t stop with that story. Since then, a veritable tidal wave of plastic-reduction options have continued to push ashore in food & beverage packaging applications.

Searching for solutions

In April of last year, Google announced the launch of its Single-Use Plastics Challenge, which aimed to help the company switch from single-use disposable products in its own foodservice operations to more reusable solutions. Google invited food & beverage companies with single-use, plastic-free packaging solutions — whether snack wrappers or distribution packaging solutions — to apply to the competition.

Homefree LLC won Google’s Single-Use Plastics Challenge for its sustainable packaging.
In November, Homefree LLC, a Windham, N.H., manufacturer of brownies and cookies that are gluten-free, vegan and free from the most common 14 food allergens, announced it was a winner of the challenge. Homefree founder and president Jill Robbins said when she first heard about the challenge, she thought “it was awesome” for an international company like Google and its foodservice partners to make such an impactful commitment.

“When I saw Google’s challenge to reduce single-use packaging in foodservice, I loved it,” she explains. “It was partly business-related to apply, but also partly so we could learn and be part of the community supporting a cause like this.”

For Robbins, it all starts with the fact that Homefree is a sustainability-focused company, having earned certified B Corporation status in 2011. The company produces shelf-stable, single-serve, boxed and bulk-packaged mini cookies for retail and foodservice, as well as a line of 1 oz. soft cookies and 2 oz. brownies delivered frozen to foodservice.

“The electricity used to run the packaging machines and the lighting, which was also refurbished, is 100% green energy,” she says. Homefree offers its bulk products in three 1-lb. bags, which allow operators to deliver the product to consumers via dispensers, reducing packaging materials while maintaining product freshness.

Robbins has been working since the company’s infancy to minimize plastic use, she says, relaying that early in the company’s history, when it was first making the larger cookies, it was looking to impact the environment as little as possible. Most similar products on the market were packaged in plastic trays, but Robbins wasn’t keen on going that route.

“At the time, I started to think about how many trays we were going to create for these cookies, and I thought there had to be a better solution,” she says. “We ended up wrapping them in groups of three and putting them into the box without the tray, and nobody was doing that at the time; but I simply couldn’t bring myself to create all that plastic.”

The company also transitioned to a wrap made with 53% reworked food-grade materials, diverting waste from landfills. Cookie boxes are made with local fiber that is platinum-rated through sustainability ratings company EcoVadis, and they are printed using wind power. Case boxes for all the products are 65-80% recycled content and also recyclable and reusable, Robbins says. But the company isn’t done working on its sustainable packaging efforts.

“What we have decided at this point — always knowing it’s a transition and learning — is to try to make the wrap itself as sustainable as possible and not count on the end user to do anything with it yet, because the infrastructure isn’t always there even if they want to be sustainable,” she says.

The focus on single-serve packaging can make an even bigger impact if the trend-spotters such as retail supermarket chain Whole Foods are proven correct on food & beverage trends heading into 2024. In Whole Foods’ “The Next Big Things: Our Top 10 Food Trends for 2024,” the company called out “little luxuries” as a key driver.

“We know firsthand the power of a treat, like an impulse macaron buy or a fizzy, functional and flavor-forward bev,” the report says. “Brands are getting in on the trend by considering both cost and format — like individual serving packages that add joy without breaking a budget.”

Big food & beverage steps up
The big companies have stepped up in a big way to eliminate plastic as well. In August, PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) announced it would eliminate plastic rings on its multipacks and replace them with paperboard solutions in a phased, regional rollout across the U.S. The paperboard packaging would be made from recycled materials and is recyclable, the company says.

Buying a Coca-Cola in Canada or India? You'll be supporting the company's efforts to reduce the use of virgin plastic for bottles.
Buying a Coca-Cola in Canada or India? You’ll be supporting the company’s efforts to reduce the use of virgin plastic for bottles.
Over the decades, the long-maligned “six-pack” plastic rings went from a not-so-funny punchline to a fully negative image of a beverage industry that lacked any care about the environment. The entire industry has worked to minimize impacts over the years. PBNA said its solution would eliminate millions of pounds of plastics from its North American product lines.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Co. announced it would be using 100% recycled plastic (excluding caps and labels) for all 500ml sparkling beverage product bottles in Canada by early 2024, creating a circular economy for plastic packaging and allowing the company to stop using virgin plastic for any of those bottles moving forward in Canada. Coca-Cola India also has converted to using 100% recycled plastic for its 250ml and 750ml Coca-Cola product bottles in that country.

Plastics reduction extends beyond beverages as well, with Bimbo Bakeries USA chipping in with its own innovative packaging solution. In October, the company announced that the Arnold Bread brand’s organic line had begun using what the company said was the first bread bag made from 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content , produced from FDA-compliant PCR resins.

Nissin Foods has overhauled the packaging for its Cup Noodles product to cut use of plastics.
Nissin Foods has overhauled the packaging for its Cup Noodles product to cut use of plastics.
In December, Kellanova, the global snacking and frozen foods spinoff of the former Kellogg Co., announced that Cheez-It Snap’d, Cheez-It Puff’d and Club Crisps had knocked down their use of plastic packaging significantly year-over-year. Kellanova said optimized packaging designs helped the brands cut 124,000 lbs. of plastic (as well as 672,000 lbs. in total material weight and 548,000 lbs. of corrugated cardboard for case shipments) annually.

When you think single-serve products, ramen noodles may come to mind, and one of the major players in that space, Nissin Foods, overhauled the packaging of its Cup Noodles product. Nissin replaced the polystyrene cup with a paper cup, removing the clear plastic wrapper entirely and featuring a sleeve made with 100% recycled paper. The changes have allowed more convenience for consumers as well, as the product can now be microwaved with the move away from the polystyrene cup.

Source https://www.foodprocessing.com/

Tabletop and Front of House

7 Restaurant Interior Design Trends for 2024
Delicious food and quality service are highlights in the restaurant industry, but you shouldn’t forget about how a restaurant looks and feels, too. Restaurant ambiance is critical for success in the food industry.

The interior design of your restaurant sets the tone, defines its character, and creates a theme. Restaurant interior design trends are constantly changing as customer tastes evolve. Staying informed about what’s popular and making necessary adjustments to cater to customer preferences are the keys to restaurant success.

Modern Restaurant Interior Design Trends for 2024
These design themes can help you change or update your restaurant to fit this year’s top trends.

1. Sustainable Construction Design
Utilizing sustainable construction techniques in restaurant design is becoming the standard. Sustainable construction design involves using environmentally conscious building materials and techniques that reduce a building’s carbon footprint. These include things like:

Energy-efficient HVAC systems with smart temperature controls and zoning capabilities. This allows for reduced energy usage.
Installation of occupancy sensors in low-traffic areas to automatically turn lights on and off based on detected motion. This prevents energy waste from lighting empty rooms.
Insulated concrete form (ICF) construction for walls and foundations. ICF blocks provide superior insulation compared to wood framing.
LED lighting throughout the restaurant interior. LED bulbs last longer and use less electricity than incandescent or fluorescent lighting.
Low-flow plumbing fixtures to conserve water.
Use of recycled, renewable, and locally sourced building materials whenever possible. Using locally sourced materials also reduces transportation emissions.
Sustainable construction elements help reduce operational costs through lower utility bills. They also provide environmental benefits and allow a restaurant to market itself as an eco-conscious establishment. With rising eco-awareness among consumers, this can give your restaurant a competitive edge.

2. Dark Color Tones
For 2024, modern restaurants are utilizing dark color tones to create ambiance and style in their interiors. Dark walls, tables, and gray wood flooring provide a rich and traditional look, adding character and enhancing the overall dining experience for customers.

Dark colors and tones have become an increasingly popular trend in restaurant interior design. When used thoughtfully throughout a dining space, deep shades of gray, black, navy, forest green, and brown can create an intimate, upscale ambiance.

Specifically, dark-colored accent walls, ceilings, faux-finished furnishings, stone surfaces, and wood tones establish visual interest while encouraging patrons to linger. Strategically placed lighting casts a glow throughout the space, drawing attention to decor elements and making dark colors appear richer.

Dark wood flooring and tabletops also add warmth and dimension. Matte black or forged metal finishes on light fixtures, chairs, and table bases provide contemporary contrast. Leather, velvet, or brocade upholstery choices align with the sophisticated scheme.

3. Gallery Walls
Gallery walls involve decorating walls with a curated collection of framed photos, artwork, wall hangings, mirrors, and other memorabilia. When thoughtfully designed, gallery walls create visual interest and establish aesthetics. Framed photos, paintings, posters, and memorabilia along gallery walls offer diners a view of unique imagery throughout dining spaces.

In a restaurant setting specifically, gallery walls achieve multiple purposes:

Attract attention and spark conversation, giving customers decorative elements to admire. This enhances the overall ambiance.
Establish a theme or mood through intentional, cohesive decor choices.
Influence traffic flow when strategically placed, subtly directing customers.
Personalize the environment with framed dishes, chef photos, or restaurant history.
Provide opportunities to showcase local artists and refresh artwork for regulars.
Altogether, gallery walls can help your restaurant establish branding, ambiance, and uniqueness for years to come.

4. Minimalistic Design
Regarding recent restaurant and bar design trends, the saying “less is more” holds true. Minimalist spaces help reduce visual distractions, which can enhance guest engagement.

Minimalist design techniques achieve this by creating clean lines and clutter-free zones through neutral backdrops, such as white or light-colored walls, that allow the decor to stand out. Natural materials like stone, wood, plants, and concrete add clean texture.

Discreetly hide any necessary wires and conduits, and use space-saving furniture to prevent visual clutter. Use mood-setting accent lighting instead of harsh overheads and offer streamlined, clear menu options.

This simplified concept focuses on ambiance, brand, and cuisine by defusing visual chaos in favor of quality materials and purposeful decor.

5. Picture-Perfect Social Media Backdrops
Platforms like Instagram are becoming increasingly influential in how restaurants market their cuisine and spaces. Photogenic dishes and dining spaces encouraging quality user-generated content can provide invaluable brand exposure.

Restaurants are starting to design their interiors with shareable social media moments in mind. They use textural backdrops and eye-catching lighting fixtures to create intrigue for photos. They carefully arrange strategic table settings and menu presentations ideal for snapping the perfect picture. Designed focal points like vivid murals, neon signs, and exposed architectural elements also encourage photo opportunities, turning patrons into organic advertisers.

While some criticize social media for changing dining etiquette norms, leveraging social media performance, reach allows restaurants to spread their messages widely and drive traffic. Ultimately, these sharable and stylized spaces help attract the ideal brand demographics in modern, technology-immersed markets.

6. Lighting Accents
Lighting is crucial to creating the right atmosphere and ambiance in a restaurant. Restaurants use proper lighting placement, dimming controls, and color palettes to customize moods or themes for different dining areas or events.

You can use different strategies to achieve effective lighting. For example, grazing vertical wall surfaces can spotlight textures, while hanging fixtures over artwork or architectural details can distinguish focal points. Ambient overhead fixtures can establish comfort, and task lighting can improve kitchen and bar functionality. You can also use color-changing LEDs to set seasonal or festive moods.

Even small-scale lighting adjustments can have a significant aesthetic impact. By maximizing illumination, restaurants can create distinct atmospheres, extend guest stays, and boost brand familiarity.

7. Visible, Open Kitchens
When a restaurant displays its kitchen operations for guests, it can create a more engaging and satisfying dining experience. By watching the chefs at work, guests can feel closer to the origins of their dishes and appreciate the efforts made by the staff to prepare quality cuisine.

This visibility can offer many benefits, such as captivating diners with fiery grills and steaming stations, while also allowing guests to gain insight into how chefs prepare signature menu items, satisfying their curiosity.

Increased visibility of the kitchen can also enable better hospitality from the kitchen to the table. Open workflows promote freshness, hygiene, and traceability, which is preferred by discerning diners. Patrons can witness the artistry and passion behind the dishes across the dining spaces, and chefs become attractions.

Ultimately, when the kitchen is visible and barrier-free, it strengthens the relationship between the staff and the guests by revealing the diligent culinary craft.

So, Is Restaurant Interior Design Important?
Restaurant interior design is vital for shaping customer experiences and setting businesses apart from their competitors. A dull and uninviting atmosphere can discourage customers from staying, returning, or recommending the restaurant despite the quality of the offerings.

Without thoughtful layouts and aesthetically appealing environments, even the most talented chefs and staff can struggle to make a positive impression on their customers. Therefore, distinct and updated designs are invaluable for converting customers and retaining them over time in a highly competitive market.

Source https://todayshomeowner.com/

Food & Beverage

Restaurants’ labor situation has improved, but it’s far from perfect
The industry has regained workers, and more operators are likely to say they’re fully staffed. But labor is more expensive. Retention remains a key stressor. And jobs have moved.

For Honeygrow, 2020 was one problem, with the pandemic wiping out much of its business for a time. But 2021 would prove to be altogether different.

The 40-unit fast-casual chain was getting customers. It just couldn’t find workers. “We had folks coming into the restaurants,” founder and CEO Justin Rosenberg said. “We couldn’t get folks to want to work in the restaurants. We were unfortunately temporarily closing locations.”

That’s not a problem these days. It has both customers and workers and is adding locations again.

For Honeygrow and other restaurant chains, the labor problems that dominated 2021 and 2022 are in the past. The industry has recovered jobs that it lost when the pandemic hit in 2020. People have returned to the workforce, providing a labor pool that is enabling operators to remain open and expand hours.

But that doesn’t mean the labor picture is perfect. Far from it, in fact. Labor remains more expensive than it was four years ago, and that’s not including the wage increase about to take place in California. Labor retention remains a key stressor for operators, and restaurants have more job openings than almost any other industry.

What’s more, the hiring picture looks different based on the sector of the industry you look at and the location of the restaurant in the first place.

“It is better than it was two years ago,” said Hudson Riehle, SVP of the research and knowledge group with the National Restaurant Association. “But it’s still the No. 1 ranked priority for operators.”

First, let’s look at the total labor picture. Restaurants and bars lost a ton of jobs in March and April of 2020, when states shut down restaurants for dine-in service and restaurants responded by furloughing much of their workforces.

Restaurants were hit harder by the pandemic than just about any other industry because governments deliberately stopped in-person dining. As such, they were far slower to recover their lost workforces.

But the industry recovered lost jobs last year. Restaurants hired about 300,000 workers in 2023. And they are expected to continue hiring workers in 2024. The association said it expects the industry to hire about 200,000 more workers this year.

Nearly two-thirds of operators told the association they were “very likely” to hire additional workers this year. “Even in an environment of higher throughput and productivity efficiency, this is still a situation where demand remains high,” Riehle said.

But demand for restaurants increased more quickly than did hiring. With relatively few people re-entering the workforce coming out of the pandemic, restaurants were among the last places that could pick up people. As such, restaurants couldn’t hire enough people to meet demand.

The best way to examine the state of the industry’s labor shortage is to look at job openings. And the industry’s job openings rate has declined steeply over the last year but remains elevated when compared with other industries.

The rate of job openings for hotels and restaurants has fallen from 9.6% in November 2022 to 6.4% in November of 2023. That is a substantial improvement. Yet it remains higher than almost any other industry, with the exception of health care and social assistance jobs.

More than half of operators say that recruiting employees is the top challenge. That is better than it was two years ago, but remains the top challenge for the industry, Riehle said. Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of restaurant workers told the footwear company Kuri that there remains a labor shortage. That was roughly unchanged from a year ago.

In short, restaurants’ labor picture has improved over the past year. But restaurant jobs remain one of the hardest to fill.

On the other hand, people aren’t quitting their jobs as much anymore.

The “quits” rate by industry is an interesting way to examine the labor shortage. The more people quit, the more they’re confident in their job prospects.

The quits rate for restaurants and hotels has fallen steeply over the past year. In November 2023, according to U.S. Labor Department data, that quits rate had fallen to 4.3%. And it had declined by 80 basis points in just two months.

What’s more, the quits rate is lower than it was in the year before the pandemic. It’s worth noting that pre-pandemic operators struggled to find labor, too. Still, it’s one area of the labor market that has actually improved.

That may also be a sign of the improvement in benefits and working conditions inside restaurants. Operators, fretting their turnover rates, have invested in technology designed to improve the lives of workers. They’ve also invested in benefits to keep people around, such as paid time off, retirement benefits, tuition reimbursement and other perks.

That said, the average worker is a lot more expensive now.

Average hourly pay rates took off in 2021 and 2022. Average hourly wages in the restaurant business were up 29% between November 2020 and November 2023, according to federal data.

That said, the rate of increase slowed over that time, from an annual increase of 14% in 2021 to 6% in 2022 to 5% in 2023. Slowly, the increase is improving. But with labor still in demand, wages continue to head northward.

And where restaurant workers are employed is also different. They are more likely to work in a limited-service concept, probably in the South and the West.

Full-service restaurants, which lost the most employees in 2020, have yet to recover the lost jobs. They’re more than 200,000 jobs short of where they were in February 2020, a likely result of closed restaurants and a slow recovery of that business. Buffets and cafeterias, hit hardest by the pandemic, have lost nearly half their pre-pandemic workforce.

By contrast, limited-service restaurants lost only about one-quarter of the employees full-service restaurants did and have added 130,700 jobs since 2020. Snack and beverage concepts have seen a surge in employment by 100,000 jobs. People are less likely to sit down for a meal and are far more likely to grab some fast-food or a beverage.

As for the states, we leave you with this map that probably says as much about where people are living as anything else. They’ve moved from cooler Northern states with more classic urban markets that have struggled coming out of the pandemic, to warmer Southern and Western states.

Source https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/

Diners are Trading Down: What It Means for Fast Casuals and Quick-Serves
As diners face increased costs across categories, a recent report by InMarket found many are trading down—shifting from their casual and fast-casual food joints to quick-service restaurants to cut back on spending.

Now more than ever, it’s essential for fast casuals and quick-serves alike to double down on their value proposition and ensure it bleeds through every digital touchpoint with target audiences.

Leading brands like Taco Bell, Dunkin’, Arby’s, Pizza Hut, among others are clearly catching on and upleveling their value menus and promotions to meet these needs.

However, launching a new value menu or dining deal alone isn’t enough because of intense market saturation—you need to ensure that your deals stand out among endless competition.

To effectively break through the clutter, marketers must reach the right customer at the right moment in their dining journey with the perfectly crafted message. It’s something we’ve all heard before, but figuring out this combo and actually making it happen can feel like the ultimate challenge.

Here’s how you can get started with three simple steps, focused on empowering your brand to meaningfully connect with audiences, attract new customers, increase visit frequency and drive loyalty:

Start With What You Know: Building Upon Your Success to Grow Market Share

Every marketer knows you need to understand who your target customer is. But, many fall short when it comes to uncovering when and where you can best reach them and—most importantly—why they’re making their dining decisions.

Any quick-service brand can have an attractive deal or an alluring ad, but if it’s not reaching the right customer in the precise moment of need, it winds up being a meaningless and significant waste of ad dollars. Thoroughly understanding your customers’ behaviors and their “why” uncovers the insights that can fuel a true customer-first and data-driven approach, empowering your brand to attract and retain customers during a time of increased competition.

The easiest place to start is with what you know. Consider the ways you can tap insights to better understand the motivating factors behind your customers’ purchase decisions. Dig deep into previous results like engagement, visitation and sales to uncover new opportunities based on both successes and shortcomings.

Not only is it about knowing your customer, you should expand your knowledge of the competitive landscape and local markets. Understanding key insights like customer loyalty usage or purchase history can further refine your value messaging, fueling more efficient and effective promotions.

Create the Ultimate Combo: Tapping Creativity & Value to Drive Visits, Sales & Loyalty

The secret sauce to creating buzz and driving diner loyalty is giving your customers something to talk about, while keeping value at the heart of your campaigns and promotions.

Many quick-service restaurants have tapped a variety of tactics to engage the value-focused customer. Whether it’s more traditional tactics like launching a new breakfast combo, or experimenting with value-driven experiences like Taco Bell’s Nacho Fries Lover’s Pass or Denny’s All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast, enhancing your value proposition across your messaging and deals is essential for staying top of mind for diners.

New developments in technology also provide an opportunity to enhance ads with immersive elements, allowing chains of all sizes to create more engaging experiences that drive exceptional results.

As one example, if a fast casual chain like IHOP conducts a lapsed/lost analysis and finds they’re most susceptible to breakfast at McDonald’s, they can strategize an immersive ad unit that allows viewers to swipe through various combos from its IHOPPY Hour or its Rooty-Tooty Breakfast Combo deal, highlighting value offerings alongside their traditional dining experience to attract and retain their value-focused diner.

Get creative—think of the ways you can uplevel your ads with engaging tactics that can more effectively remind diners of both your value as well as your unique offerings or aspects of your dining experience that make your brand shine.

Uplevel Your Measurement Strategies: Fueling Enhanced Success With Robust Insights

A recent InMarket report revealed that measurement is a top investment priority in 2024 for over a third of marketers. In an unpredictable dining landscape, enhanced measurement is increasingly critical for both understanding the impact of your marketing efforts as well as gaining rich first-party insights to fuel future campaigns.

Expanding your key KPIs beyond clicks to more actionable insights like brand, visit and sales lift, you’ll better understand a campaign’s true impact on getting closer towards your goals.

As we say goodbye to third-party cookies, implementing a robust measurement program will also alleviate the added stress and uncertainty of navigating a post-cookies landscape in which many established tactics and targeting strategies no longer apply.

It’s undeniable that 2024 will once again present new challenges for restaurant marketers. To overcome them, let the customer and competitive landscape guide your strategy and experiment with new tactics that have proven to significantly increase engagement. From there, you’ll be well on your way to building long-lasting relationships with your diners.

Source Alicia DiStefano https://www.qsrmagazine.com/

Actual vs. theoretical food cost variance: Why does it matter?
The culinary world is as much a science as it is an art, particularly when it comes to the mathematics of managing a successful restaurant. One key concept in the science of culinary management that can make or break a restaurant’s profitability is food cost variance. This metric offers crucial insights into the health of a restaurant’s finances and efficiencies in kitchen operations.

Understanding food cost variance
Food cost variance represents the percent or dollar amount difference between what a restaurant’s food inventory costs would be if there was zero waste (aka theoretical usage), and actual costs when waste is factored in. Simply put, it’s the gap between a perfect world and reality.

Theoretical food costs
Theoretical costs are based on what the food cost ought to be in an ideal situation where everything goes according to plan: the right portions, no waste and no theft. It’s calculated by using the cost of ingredients purchased and the amount used based on POS sales data matched with recipes over a given period.

Actual food costs
Actual food costs are calculated using what restaurants actually use combined with the addition of inventory counts during the period you’re looking at.

Use this equation to calculate actual food cost percentage:

(Beginning inventory + purchased inventory – ending inventory) x Product cost = actual cost of goods sold (COGS). COGS divided by the menu price equals the actual food cost percentage.

Knowing the variance between the actual and theoretical costs is essential—not only does it give insight into a restaurant’s financial health, but it also provides a clear picture of operational effectiveness.

Importance of managing food cost variance
Managing food cost variance is fundamentally connected to enhancing profitability. High variance often signals issues such as inventory mismanagement or operational inefficiencies. Having tight control over these variances leads to a well-managed kitchen, optimized processes and ultimately a more profitable restaurant operation.

Common causes of food cost variance
Identifying and understanding the discrepancies between actual and theoretical food costs can be like fitting pieces into a puzzle. Many variables can impact these figures, including:

Inaccurate portioning and measurements: Serving larger portions than budgeted, or over-pouring on beer, wine or liquor.
Theft and shrinkage: Food going bad or going home with someone it shouldn’t.
Poor inventory management: Incorrect counts or over-ordering can tie up cash flow and lead to waste through spoilage.
Pricing discrepancies: Changes in market prices for ingredients can either increase or decrease the actual costs unexpectedly.

To counteract these common causes, restaurant operators often utilize restaurant management systems (RMS) that feature invoice processing automation and inventory management. Such systems help track and adjust for cost fluctuations, assisting in keeping a close eye on both actual and theoretical costs. Having recipes, inventory, invoices and sales data all in one place takes the guesswork out of calculating food costs and speeds up the process considerably.

If a restaurant operator is not ready for an RMS, simple tools like this calculator can help.

Outside of using an RMS, implementing efficient inventory systems (like taking regular counts), preserving excess food (through pickling or canning), using cooking tools such as scales and thermometers for accuracy and investing in staff training can all contribute to reducing the variance.

A successful restaurant strikes a harmony between culinary excellence and savvy financial management, so understanding actual vs. theoretical food cost variance is crucial for restaurant owners and kitchen managers. It’s not simply controlling costs but understanding where waste and inefficiency occur. By diligently tracking this variance and making data-driven decisions, restaurants can streamline their operations, reduce waste and increase profitability.

Check out MarginEdge. for a free template to start calculating theoretical usage.

Source https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/

A DEEPER LOOK AT COFFEE REVIEW’S TOP 30 COFFEES OF 2023
In 2023, Coffee Review blind-tasted more than 3,000 coffee samples from hundreds of leading roasting companies and coffee producers around the world. We ultimately published nearly 600 reviews on CoffeeReview.com over the course of the year. The Top 30 Coffees of 2023 is our editors’ ranking of the 30 most exciting of these coffees, representing roughly 5 percent of the coffees we reviewed.

This is the 11th year we have compiled our Top 30 list. This annual event supports our mission to help consumers identify and purchase superior-quality coffees, while also helping recognize and reward the farmers and roasters who produce these coffees. The Top 30 celebrates and promotes coffee roasters, farmers, mill operators, importers and other coffee-industry professionals who make an extra effort to produce coffees that are not only superb in quality but also distinctive in character.

In 2023, only about one out of four of the more than 3,000 coffees we tested scored 90 points or higher. But over 215 of them — around 8 percent of the total — earned 94 points or more, a tribute to the ever-intensifying innovation and dedication of the world’s leading coffee producers and roasters.

However, we always offer the caveat that scores alone have limitations. Coffee lovers may well take more pleasure in a lower-rated coffee that matches their taste preferences than a higher-scoring coffee that isn’t their style. We do our best to characterize a coffee’s character in the “Blind Assessment” paragraph of our reviews, and even more succinctly in the “Bottom Line” that concludes each review. We encourage readers to look beyond our overall scores and rankings to identify the coffees that they find the most exciting and enjoyable.

For those curious about how we conduct our testing and rating processes at Coffee Review, see How Coffee Review Works. For what scores mean with respect to the wide range of coffee styles and qualities, see Interpreting Reviews.

DIFFICULT CHOICES
All of the coffees that rated 94 points or higher in 2023 are worthy of celebrating, as are many of the unique and exciting coffees that didn’t score quite as high. Obviously, not all of the coffees earning 94 points or more can appear in the Top 30. We forced ourselves to select the 30 we felt were the most exciting.

As in past years, we selected and ranked our Top 30 coffees based on quality and distinctiveness (represented primarily by overall rating), value (reflected by most affordable price per pound and price relative to similar coffees), and consideration of other factors that include uniqueness of origin, style, processing method, tree variety, certifications such as Fair Trade and organic, and general singularity.

In each of the 11 years that we have published our Top 30 list, including 2023, our top pick has been a single-origin coffee — meaning a coffee from a single country and region (and usually from a single farm or cooperative).

#1 COFFEE OF 2023
This year, we selected the 98-point Wilton Benitez Pink Bourbon Colombia roasted by JBC Coffee Roasters in Madison, Wisconsin as the #1 coffee. The review from July describes the coffee as “an elegant, decadent, pied piper of a coffee with its mesmerizing aromatics and addictively complex cup with notes like blackberry jam and frankincense — you’ll find more descriptors than you can count on both hands.” This coffee takes its originality and complexity in part from a particularly meticulous version of the trendy anaerobic processing method.

This is the first time a coffee from Colombia has earned the #1 spot. Coffees from Panama have earned the top spot five times, in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2021. In 2017 and 2022, the top coffee was from Yemen. Coffees from Hawaii (2018), Kenya (2016) and Ethiopia (2013) have previously earned recognition as Coffee Review’s #1 coffee of the year.

TOP 30 STATISTICS
RATINGS AND PRICE
The average overall rating for coffees on our Top 30 list for 2023 is 95.6 out of a possible 100, in line with, but slightly higher than, past averages.

In 2023, the average price of the coffees on our Top 30 list was $124.56 per pound. (Coffees sold in non-U.S. currencies were converted to U.S. dollars for averaging purposes.) However, that figure is skewed upward by the extremely high-priced (~$1,750 per pound) #3 Princesa Carmen Geisha from Taiwanese roaster GK Coffee, which was a Best of Panama competition winner that attracted an extraordinarily high price as a green coffee at the 2023 Best of Panama auction. If you remove this coffee from the calculations, the average price drops to $68.48 per pound, which is lower than the average of $79.34 in 2022.

As in past years, higher-scoring coffees in our 2023 Top 30 tended to cost more than lower-scoring coffees:

97- and 98-point coffees (4) ~ $492.00/pound (yes, skewed)
96-point coffees (12) – $95.33/pound
95-point coffees (11) – $49.52/pound
93- to 94-point coffees (3) – $26.22/pound

VALUE
One of the selection criteria for the Top 30 is value, measured by price per pound relative to coffees of similar quality and style. Many of the coffees on our list are priced in line with similar, though usually less distinguished, specialty coffees in the marketplace.

Seven coffees were priced at less than $30 per pound, or the equivalent of $22 per 12-ounce bag:

#7 Red Rooster, Ethiopia Shantawene Washed, 96 points – $22.00/12 oz.
#12 Kakalove Café (Taiwan), Kenya Washed Kiambu Windrush AA, 96 points ~ $10.52/8 oz.
#17 Speckled Ax, Sumatra Lintong Kardon, 95 points – $21.00/12 oz.
#23 Buon Caffe (Taiwan), Kenya Machakos, 96 points ~ $12.65/8 oz.
#24 Peach Coffee, Blue Sunda Estate Java, 94 points – $19.00/12 oz.
#26 Roadmap CoffeeWorks, Tanzania Nyasi Furaha, 94 points – $19.00/12 oz.
#29 Bassline Coffee, Bali Kintamani, 93 points – $21.00/12 oz.

ORIGIN
With seven appearances, Colombia is the most frequently cited origin in our 2023 Top 30. The probable reason is the surge in innovative processing methods among some Colombian coffee producers, particularly those in the southwestern departments of Cauca and Huila. In fact, four of the Top 30 coffees, including two of the top four, were grown by the same Cauca producer, Wilton Benitez. With the Benitez coffees, the usual emphasis on fastidious agricultural and harvest processes and admired tree varieties was bolstered by a strikingly detailed and innovative approach to processing, or fruit removal and drying, which involved a double-anaerobic fermentation of the whole fruit in sealed tanks with yeast added, and sterilization of the cherries with ozone gas and ultraviolet light. Modifying cup character through such complex processing methods brings coffee closer to the world of wine, and may well signal a fundamental change in how fine coffee will be created and understood in the future.

Hawaii and Kenya were second in number of placements this year with three coffees each, while Ethiopia, Panama and Peru each appear twice. Filling out the list were 11 origins represented by one coffee each. Two of the 30 samples were designated as intended for brewing as espresso.

TREE VARIETY
When describing last year’s Top 30 list, we wrote: “There are stars and superstars among the hundreds of varieties of Arabica grown in the world today, and coffees from these distinguished varieties continue to dominate the very highest ratings at Coffee Review.” Variety appears to be as important as ever in both the production and marketing of the fine single-origin coffees we celebrate in our latest Top 30 list.

For example, this year, seven of our Top 30 coffees were produced from trees of the celebrated Geisha (also spelled Gesha) variety, the Ethiopia-derived variety that burst onto the world coffee stage during a green coffee competition in Panama in 2004, breaking all rating and price records. The most rare variety on the list appeared at #2, the 97-rated Hula Daddy Kona Coffee Kona Pointu. Bourbon Pointu (botanical variety name “Laurina”) is a natural mutation of the famous Bourbon variety, first detected on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. The Bourbon Pointu is famous for its naturally low levels of caffeine, bean shape (small and tending to be pointed at the ends, hence “pointu”), and pungently fruit-toned cup.

A hint of a possible trend showed up with the appearance of a coffee of the Sidra variety at #4, and coffees from trees of the Pink Bourbon variety at #1 and #20. Sidra and Pink Bourbon have long been thought to be natural hybrids of the Bourbon and Typica varieties, but the latest genetic research indicates that both are Ethiopian varieties that were carried to Latin America, much as Geisha was. Neither variety has been traced in its movement from Ethiopia to Latin America, although in both cases the typical cup suggests Ethiopian character and florality.

PROCESSING METHOD
Remarkably, in 2023, processing method was disclosed for every coffee on the list, perhaps indicative of the increasing awareness in the coffee world of the importance of processing method in determining cup character. Half (15) of the 30 are traditional washed coffees, meaning fruit skin and flesh were removed before the coffee was dried, usually promoting a clean, sweet-tart cup with a generally familiar “coffee” character. Two more are wet-hulled, the mainly Indonesian variation on the washed method that encourages complex spice and savory notes. Six of the 30 are naturals, meaning the beans were dried in the whole fruit, a practice that typically encourages sweetness and fruit.

Seven of this year’s Top 30 coffees, an increase of just two from 2022, were processed using variations of the anaerobic method, in which a fermentation step takes place in sealed, reduced-oxygen containers. This demanding procedure, done right, generally encourages a lactic sweet-sour structure and often surprising and original aroma and flavor notes.

ROASTERS IN THE TOP 30
In 2023, five roasting companies placed two coffees each on this year’s Top-30 list:

GK Coffee (Yilan, Taiwan) – #3 and #6
Hula Daddy Kona Coffee (Holualoa, Hawaii) – #2 and #21
JBC Coffee Roasters (Madison, Wisconsin) – #1 and #9
Kakalove Café (Chia-Yi, Taiwan) – #5 and #12
Roadmap CoffeeWorks (Lexington, Virginia) – #22 and #26
This concentration of coffees from certain roasters is certainly not intentional. In fact, we make a deliberate effort to minimize repetition and maximize variety among roasters that appear in the Top 30.

To that end, this year we consciously limited appearances in the Top 30 to a maximum of two coffees per roaster, regardless of how many highly rated coffees that roaster produced. While that may seem like an arbitrary limit — and it is — it’s important to remember that our list represents our rendering of the most “exciting” coffees of the year, not necessarily the highest-rated. We felt that it wouldn’t be very exciting (to us or others) if the Top 30 list was dominated by a handful of roasting companies that produced a particularly large number of highly rated coffees over the course of the year. Instead, we felt readers would be more excited to read about amazing coffees from a broader variety of roasters.

That said, Coffee Review has been, from its inception, committed to starting with what we actually experience in the cup, not with product categories or marketing considerations or fashion. It is true that we take into account extrinsic factors like value, rarity and sustainable intentions when we narrow the number of candidates from hundreds to just 30. But ultimately, sensory quality and distinction in the cup, as determined by blind-tasting and reflected in rating, is the entry point for consideration and one of the primary factors that influences where coffees land on the list.

ROASTING COMPANY LOCATION
Of the 30 coffees on the list, 23 were roasted by companies in the United States. Six coffees were roasted in Taiwan, up from four in 2022, continuing a trend of increasing coffee quality and presence in Taiwan. Both Kakalove Café and GK Coffee – roasters in Taiwan – appeared on the list twice.

For the third year in a row, a coffee roasted in Japan appeared in the Top 30. SOT Coffee Roaster from Osaka, Japan roasted the #25 Colombia El Paraiso Geisha Luna Washed.

Source https://www.coffeereview.com/

Staying ahead of the next big menu moves
Industry forecasters had a lot to say about potential 2024 trends as 2023 wrapped up. And no doubt some of them will pan out.

But now that we’re two months into the new year, Technomic has released its annual State of the Menu 2024 report—a definitive look at the future of menus based on data and insights from Top 500 chain restaurants.

The report points out three big trends moving menus this year and five recommended actions operators can take to stay ahead of the curve.

What’s moving menus
Menu size steadies after the downsizing and streamlining of the pandemic years. Both limited- and full-service menus saw steady year-over-year menu mention increases (from 1.9% to 4.7%.) But the more extensive growth happened around LTOs. Between 2020 and 2023, limited-time item counts went up by 52.7%, a sign that more innovation is taking place in that space rather than with additions to the permanent menu.

Menus embrace more, getting more generous with portions, bold flavors, premium ingredients and detailed menu descriptions. Technomic cites “more is more” as a continuing trend, whether it’s ramping up spicy heat, elevating dishes with luxurious ingredients or taking mashups in unique directions.

The pricing conundrum is impacting restaurant traffic. Menu prices skyrocketed in 2023, but consumers may be saying “enough is enough.” There are indications that customers are trading down from full-service to quick-serve restaurants or trading out of foodservice entirely. Operators are finding they have to adapt to consumers’ changing definition of value—both in terms of price and the value they place on a unique experience.

Along with laying out these three overriding forces, the State of the Menu report offers five actionable recommendations chain restaurants can start working on now.

Menu extensions go a long way to power up profits. Experiment with ways to work existing SKUs into new meal occasions or innovative dishes. Mashups are a proven way to drive incremental traffic, so Technomic advises operators to lean into unique flavor and ingredient combinations.

Get specific about menu descriptions. Menu items with highly transparent descriptors drive craveability and the more details provided, the more premium a dish appears to be. Be choosy about using words to enhance a preparation style, specify a portion size, explain a lesser-known ingredient or describe a heat level or flavor profile; too much wordiness can overwhelm the diner.

Look to LTOs to excite customers, create demand and temporarily expand the menu. While a limited-time offer can take time and labor to develop, Technomic suggests partnering with a supplier to attach a proprietary product to the item and bring it back to the menu on a seasonal basis.

Experiment with new flavors and presentations. Seasonal and less mainstream global flavors are in demand and generate excitement with consumers. Trial new and unexpected flavors in non-risky ways, like adding a new sauce option to a burger or wings or playing around with a different chili pepper in a quesadilla. On the presentation front, eye-catching foods and drinks build social media buzz.

More is more continues as a menu theme in 2024. Although restaurant traffic may be falling off, average checks are still high. Pricier, more premium ingredients and menu items are selling, with surf and turf one of the most popular LTOs in Technomic’s ranking and caviar the fastest growing flavor on full-service menus. “More” doesn’t have to mean upscale ingredients; it’s important to find the definition of “more” that best fits your brand and concept.

Source https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/

HVAC & Plumbing

AHR Expo 2024 Coverage
The AHR Expo returned to Chicago Jan. 22-24 for a productive week of learning, reconnecting, and checking out new products in the HVACR market. Attendance was strong; the show welcomed 48,034 participants.

AHR Expo

• 2024 Articles

• All Years

• Products

“The industry showed up for business in Chicago,” said Mark Stevens, show manager. “Throughout the year, we’ve followed discussions regarding regulation rollouts, decarbonization trends, and various other tracks about the way we conduct business as an industry. It was evident in the halls that the professionals in attendance are primed to create solutions and drive business forward.”

The show floor’s 527,520 square footage of space saw 1,875 exhibitors spread across the North and South Halls at McCormick Place.

“The network transformation is resulting in incredible visibility and partnership for professionals,” said Nicole Bush, AHR Expo director of marketing. “There is a true line of two-way communication between the professionals in the field and the manufacturers creating products and technology.”

The education program featured 120 sessions, 153 new product presentations, and seven panels in the AHR Panel Series. “Great turnout. It was awesome customer and prospect engagement,” commented James Carpenter, account manager, R.W. Beckett Corp.

The 2025 AHR Expo will be held from Feb. 10-12 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

Source https://www.achrnews.com/

EPA Taps ‘Cleaner Indoor Air During Wildfires’ Challenge Winners
Phase Two funds will now go to new technologies developed by two air cleaner manufacturers.

PRESS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, February 20, 2024 – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Phase Two winners of the Cleaner Indoor Air During Wildfires Challenge. Challenge winners received prizes of $50,000 for their innovative prototypes that aim to clean indoor air during wildfires.

“These two novel technologies have the potential to provide effective and lower cost options to improve indoor air quality and protect health from wildfire smoke,” said Chris Frey, EPA Asst. Administrator for Research and Development. “Having technologies that clean indoor air is becoming even more important to protecting public health as people across the country are experiencing poor air quality, in part due to wildfires.”

The acreage burned by wildfire in the U.S. has increased for the last three decades and is predicted to continue to increase in the future. Wildfires release many pollutants that worsen air quality in surrounding areas. Particle pollution, specifically fine particulate matter (PM2.5 or particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers), is a significant component of wildfire smoke and a known health risk.

Wildfire smoke exposure is particularly harmful for people with pre-existing health conditions, such as asthma, lung disease or cardiovascular disease. Smoke can spread many miles during wildfires causing poor air quality that can lead to significant health effects in surrounding communities. Smoke exposures during wildfires can be reduced by staying indoors with closed doors and windows and cleaning the indoor air, if possible.

Current indoor air cleaning technologies have multiple limitations that prevent widespread use, including the cost of purchase, operation, and maintenance, as well as noise levels and dependence on electrical power, which wildfires or rolling blackouts can disrupt.

To address these limitations, EPA developed this challenge to focus attention on the problem, inspire the development of innovative solutions, and spur the market to commercialize effective solutions.

Phase One Challenge winners developed detailed design proposals for affordable approaches to keep indoor air as clean as possible during periods when outdoor PM2.5 concentrations are elevated, such as during wildfire smoke events. Winners and honorable mentions from this first phase of the challenge were invited to submit prototypes of their technologies for evaluation in the second phase of the challenge.

During Phase Two of the challenge, five teams submitted prototype technologies for evaluation. EPA worked closely with partners from federal, state and local agencies as well as academia and industry to assess the prototypes through qualitative and quantitative evaluations. The top two solutions are each receiving $50,000.

Phase Two Challenge Winners:

The Cocoon: An Accessible Low-Cost Air Cleaner for Safer Spaces During Wildfires – An air cleaner that uses a large, tube-shaped, fabric filter combined with a box fan capable of operating on a battery power to create a low-cost device. Proposed by Elliot Gall, Brett Stinson, Matthew Moore, and Warren Gunn of Portland State University, Mechanical and Materials Engineering, of Portland, OR;

\Metalmark Clean Air Device – A device that uses a novel nanomaterial coating on a filter to enable self-cleaning, prolonging the life of the filter and thereby minimizing the operating costs. Proposed by Sissi Liu, Tanya Shirman, and Elijah Shirman of Metalmark Innovations, Inc., of Boston, MA.

Source https://www.hpac.com/

Ice Air sponsors thermal energy network symposium
Ice Air, provider of HVAC solutions, announced its sponsorship of the upcoming Thermal Energy Network Symposium, scheduled to take place on March 12, 2024 in Rochester, Minnesota. The event will bring together government officials, city managers, legislators, developers, architects, engineers and other stakeholders to explore Thermal Energy Networks.

Also known as district energy systems, Thermal Energy Networks offer tremendous opportunities to leverage renewable energy sources for heating and cooling purposes on a community-wide scale. By centralizing energy production and distribution, these networks can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy efficiency and promote sustainability.

Tom Glass, director of marketing and sales, Ice Air, will be participating in a panel discussion focusing on how communities and cities can initiate the installation of Thermal Energy Networks. Glass will draw upon Ice Air’s expertise in developing innovative technologies, particularly in the field of geothermal heat pumps which aligns with the principles of nature conservation and sustainability.

“Ice Air is excited to sponsor the Thermal Energy Network Symposium and contribute to the conversation surrounding cost-saving renewable energy solutions,” said Glass. “As communities strive to achieve their renewable energy goals, it’s imperative to explore innovative approaches.”

Ice Air designs efficient and durable packaged through-wall systems, geothermal water source heat pumps for space heating and cooling, and commercial size heat pumps for water heating and cooling. A wide range of markets that rely on this equipment for individual room temperature control that play a role in communities developing Thermal Energy Networks include luxury and market-rate rental apartment buildings, affordable housing and hotels and travel lodges. The urgent need for multi-family residences, senior living and healthcare facilities is expected to further increase the interest in such networks.

The Thermal Energy Network Symposium provides a valuable platform for stakeholders to exchange insights, collaborate on strategies and advance initiatives that support the transition towards renewable energy. Ice Air is committed to driving innovation in the HVAC industry and looks forward to contributing to the dialogue at the symposium.

“This is another step for our company pushing in the right direction for America,” said Ric Nadel, founder and CEO, Ice Ai, referring to Ice Air’s recent grant awarded to build new manufacturing facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to increase domestic production of cold climate heat and geothermal heat pumps. “The advances in heat pump technology enable far greater efficiencies and immediate energy cost-savings and fit perfectly with the Symposium’s objectives.”

For more information, visit: ice-air.com.

Source https://www.supplyht.com/

Jan/San and Disposables

Facts About Energy Use and The Paper Industry
Advancing Sustainability Through Energy Efficiency

The paper industry plays a vital role in our daily lives. Paper is all around us in our homes, schools and offices. It’s a product to feel good about because the industry has taken steps to advance sustainability through energy efficiency.

Understanding Energy Consumption in the Paper Industry

Purchased energy is the 3rd largest operating cost for the paper and wood products industry.

Purchased energy is when a company or person gets their electricity, heat, cooling, etc. from an outside source. For our industry, it includes all fuels, electricity and steam purchased from other providers.

One of our industry’s fundamental energy management goals has been to increase energy efficiency to use less energy overall.

For starters, it helps to know the stages involved in paper production. Let’s break it down:

Sourcing Raw Materials: The paper industry uses wood fiber from sustainably managed forests and recycled paper fibers to make new products.
Pulp and Paper Manufacturing: Making pulp and paper involves several energy-intensive processes, such as pulping and drying. Today, advances in technology have led to substantial energy efficiency improvements.
Does the Paper Industry Use A Lot of Energy?

58% of electricity was self-generated in 2020
Energy consumption is part of making paper. The industry is continuously working to increase energy efficiency.

In 2020, AF&PA member pulp and paper mills self-generated 58% of the electricity needed to power their mills. Primarily through use of biomass energy.

New technologies and innovation have significantly improved energy consumption and helped the industry advance its sustainability goals.

Advances in Energy Efficiency by Paper Industry

The forest products industry was one of the first manufacturing industries to set quantifiable sustainability goals. Improving energy efficiency was one of those goals.

AF&PA members surpassed their goal for energy efficiency by reducing purchased energy by more than 13% between 2005 and 2020.

Here are some notable initiatives our industry took to reduce our energy use:

Investing to upgrade equipment used in manufacturing operations. Things like upgrading drying sections and digesters.

Replacing energy equipment with newer, more efficient ones that use cleaner fuel sources.

Using technologies such as combined heat and power, which produce electricity and heat from a single energy source.

Using renewable energy, including biomass. This is left over materials from the manufacturing process like tree bark, saw dust and liquid biomass.

Switching to LED lighting to reduce electricity consumption.

See What’s Next for Our Sustainability Goals!

AF&PA has 5 quantifiable sustainability goals that the industry aims to meet by 2030. Better Practices, Better Planet 2030 is a voluntary industry initiative that builds on decades of success to advance sustainable products for a sustainable future.

Reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2030
Advance a circular value chain through the production of renewable and recyclable products
Advance more resilient U.S. forests

Source https://www.afandpa.org/

Sodexo, AstraZeneca Agree to Extension
Sodexo reinforced its contract of Food and Facilities Management Services with AstraZeneca in the UK, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway for a further 5-year period.

Sodexo and AstraZeneca have built a trusting relationship over the years, with significant advances implemented to improve the daily lives of consumers. The collaboration between Sodexo and AstraZeneca began in 2008 in the UK with a first Food and Facilities Management contract. In 2012, the contract was extended to additional sites and scope of services in the UK, as well as in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. From Oct. 1, 2023, Sodexo announced the evolution of this partnership under a Vested agreement for a further 5-year period.

Through this highly collaborative Vested agreement, Sodexo will continue to provide services across the global portfolio, including Food services, as well as Workplace services, Cleaning in GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and quality-controlled Lab areas, Technical Services, Grounds Maintenance and Waste Handling.

To support AstraZeneca’s activities and teams, drive efficiencies and spark further innovation, Sodexo is implementing key initiatives aligned to its 2025 ambition to deliver excellent client and consumer experience, including the implementation of:

• Global food brands, suitable for both manufacturing and office environments, such as Kitchen Works and Modern Recipe, delivering delicious food in stylish and welcoming spaces that foster a sense of belonging and cultivate collaboration;

• Proven solutions to reduce Astra Zeneca’s environmental impact:

• WasteWatch initiative to track, analyze and limit food waste with the objective of reducing food waste by 50 percent by 2025;

• “Reusable Food Box” tracked by a personalized QR code to avoid single-use packaging waste;

• Carbon labelling on menus to drive consumers towards sustainable choices;

• Tech & data solutions to support a consumer-centric approach with the evolution of the existing ‘Everyday’ consumer app, enabling consumers to pre-order meals, as well as benefitting from a digitized grab and go food offer

The partnership will also benefit from further digitization concerning other critical areas such as Health & Safety, Financial performance, Quality and Compliance through Sodexo’s global Wando app. This app generates data and insights to ensure consistency and transparency that enable informed solutions, acting as the central reporting platform to drive KPIs.

Source https://www.cleanlink.com/

Key Drivers Behind a Booming Cleaning Chemicals Market
According to findings from Research and Markets, the U.S. cleaning chemical products market is expected to grow from 2023-2028 due to several factors. These include a growing hygienic awareness among individuals and the rising incidents of various viral infections across the country, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak.

The pandemic has raised awareness about the importance of hygiene and cleanliness. As a result, consumers have become more hygiene-conscious and are looking for effective cleaners. In addition, manufacturers are actively launching new cleaners in unexplored segments.

Hypermarkets and supermarkets are the major distribution channels due to their high market penetration. Furthermore, other retail channels, such as department stores and online sales, are expected to gain significant growth in the cleaning chemical products market in the United States.

Additionally, professional cleaning services have become increasingly popular as consumers have begun to view cleaning as a part of their wellness routine. This shift in consumer behavior has resulted in an increase in the demand for professional cleaning services, both in the residential and commercial sectors.

Market Challenges
The United States cleaning chemical products market is highly competitive, with numerous players competing for the same market. This competition can lead to pricing pressures, affecting manufacturers and suppliers in terms of revenue. Moreover, fluctuations in raw material prices can impact the cost of production for cleaning chemical products. Manufacturers may face challenges in managing cost increases without passing them on to consumers, especially in a competitive market.

Another significant challenge faced by the United States cleaning chemical products market includes counterfeit products and unauthorized distribution. Counterfeit products can hinder the image of well-established brands in the market and compromise the quality of products, thereby affecting the consumer’s trust.

Market Opportunities
Increased awareness regarding the benefits of organic products and the rise in environmental pollution issues are encouraging consumers to majorly opt for organic and natural products. Hence, an increase in the demand for organic cleaners is expected to create an opportunity during the forecast years. Additionally, significant players are maximizing the use of online platforms by selling their products through their websites and advertising them on social media platforms to expand market exposure and reach a wider consumer base.

The healthcare industry requires a wide range of cleaning chemical products for hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. As the healthcare sector grows, there are ample of opportunities for manufacturers to supply specialized cleaning solutions tailored to industry’s requirements.

For more trends in the cleaning chemicals market, the complete report can be accessed at https://www.researchandmarkets.com/.

Source https://www.cleanlink.com/

Industry Spotlight

Starbucks and the union organizing it have agreed to a truce
The coffee brand and Workers United, the parent of Starbucks Workers United, have agreed to hammer out a framework for collective bargaining.

Starbucks and the union representing the staffs of about 386 green-awninged stores on Tuesday agreed to end their impasse on hammering out new labor agreements by negotiating a “foundational framework” for the collective bargaining that should follow.

The pact also calls for ending outstanding litigation between the warring parties and establishing a “fair process” for additional Starbucks units to organize.

As part of the agreement, Starbucks agreed to provide members of the union, Workers United, with the benefits non-union baristas were given in May 2022. Those perks include a share of tips that are charged on credit cards and a bump in pay.

Workers United called the extension of those benefits “a sign of good faith” on Starbucks’ part, a marked change in tune from a week ago, when union representatives filed 22 complaints against the coffee chain with federal regulators. The actions alleged that Starbucks was engaging in unfair labor practices.

“While there is plenty of work ahead, coming together to develop this framework is a significant step forward and a clear demonstration of a shared commitment to working collaboratively and with mutual respect,” read a statement issued simultaneously by Starbucks and the union.

The agreement follows one of the most intense waves of criticism Workers United has directed at Starbucks since the union began organizing units of the chain in August of 2021. Over the course of roughly a week, the union announced that the staffs of 21 Starbucks units had jumpstarted drives to join the union, the most ever in a single day; that the 22 complaints had been filed with the National Labor Relations Board; and that students at 25 colleges and universities were pressuring their schools to either shut down on-campus Starbucks units or public express their support for the drive to unionize the chain.

Starbucks has expressed considerable frustration that collective bargaining with Workers United and its Starbucks-focused subsidiary, Starbucks Workers United, had yet to begin.

Weeks ago, it sent a letter to a high-ranking official of Service Employees International Union, the parent of Workers United, that suggested the parties drop their hostilities and aim to negotiate new employment contracts for the staffs of unionized stores.

To date, about 9,500 baristas are represented by Starbucks Workers United.

Source https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/

Wendy’s new CEO hits the ground running
Kirk Tanner announced $100 million worth of investments in breakfast marketing and digital upgrades in a bid to kick-start the fast-food chain’s growth.

Kirk Tanner is apparently not easing into his new job.

The former PepsiCo executive, who was somewhat surprisingly tapped to become Wendy’s CEO last month, announced $100 million worth of investments in breakfast and digital orders on the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call Thursday.

Those investments include $55 million in marketing over two years to boost its breakfast business, another $15 million to upgrade its mobile app and $30 million in digital menu boards. The company also plans to build more restaurants, a decision designed to “put our money where our mouth is,” as CFO Gunther Plosch said Thursday.

“When I look at Wendy’s, I see the highest quality food in the QSR industry, which has built a very strong foundation of sales and profit, alongside a very healthy balance sheet,” Tanner said. “This foundation will serve as a springboard to drive what matters most, accelerated sales and unit growth, so the brand can reach its full potential.”

The comments came during an earnings call in which Wendy’s said its sales slowed in the fourth quarter, along with per-store profitability. U.S. same-store sales at the Dublin, Ohio-based increased 0.9%, well below the chain’s primary competitors. McDonald’s reported 4.3% same-store sales growth this year and Burger King 6.4%.

It also reported weakening restaurant profitability, at least among corporate locations. Wendy’s company restaurant profit margin declined 160 basis points to 13.5% of revenues in the fourth quarter. That came at the tail end of a year in which those margins had increased by 1 percentage point.

Wendy’s blamed the weakening profits on declining restaurant traffic and higher commodity costs.

Wendy’s stock declined more than 2% in morning trading on Thursday.

This was Tanner’s first earnings as CEO. Typically, chief executives wait at least a quarter to reveal detailed plans but instead Tanner revealed a series of investments and corporate priorities.

Those investments start with breakfast. Wendy’s wants to increase sales in the morning daypart by 50% over the next two years, and believes that a marketing boost, spread over those two years, will help do the trick. That increase would generate more than $150,000 in additional revenue per store over the course of a year.

And that revenue would not likely require additional workers.

“The breakfast daypart is one of the most compelling levers when considering sales growth and margin acceleration opportunities,” Tanner said. “We can grow our breakfast business significantly without adding incremental labor, which drives meaningful improvement in our restaurant model.”

Wendy’s executives believe that value, such as its 2-for-$3 promotion, and new menu news, such as the recent introduction of the Cinnabon Pull-Apart, will continue to drive sales in the morning.

The company is also making a big move into digital menu boards. Tanner said that Wendy’s plans to invest $20 million to roll out digital menu boards to its U.S. company restaurants by the end of 2025. It also plans another $10 million to “support digital menu board enhancements for the global system,” he said.

Digital menu boards are an often-overlooked improvement but can be big for operators who can automatically update the boards. And they can be used to boost sales, too. Wendy’s plans to test improved features in those boards, including dynamic pricings and new offers and AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling, Tanner said.

Wendy’s believes its own investments in the technology will spur franchisees to do the same. “As we continue to show the benefit of this technology in our company-operated restaurants, franchisee interest in digital menu boards should increase,” Tanner said.

That’s not the only way the company hopes to use its own investments to spur franchisee interest. Wendy’s also said it plans to build more corporate units, both in the U.K. and in the U.S.

Executives assured that they remain committed to the “asset-light” model but believe the investments will demonstrate the brand’s return-on-investment. “It’s a little bit of leaning in, putting our money where our mouth is,” Plosch said. “We are just demonstrating to franchisees that there’s money to be made.”

Wendy’s also plans to boost digital sales, which totaled $2 billion systemwide last year. The $15 million investment in the app is designed to increase that number.

And company executives acknowledged during the call that traffic was weak among lower-income consumers, which Wendy’s defines as those making $75,000 per year or less. They believe that more value, particularly through its Biggie Bag bundled menu promotions, will drive more value traffic.

Source https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/

Red Lobster’s owner ‘not expecting much’ from sale
The struggling seafood chain lost more than $22 million last year, said Thai Union Group, which is looking to offload the brand.

The owner of Red Lobster is still looking for a buyer for the struggling seafood chain, and it’s keeping its expectations low.

“We’re not expecting to get anything much from the sale,” Thai Union Group CEO Thiraphong Chansiri told investors during an earnings call Monday, according to a transcript from AlphaSense. “So you don’t need to expect any one-time gain from Red Lobster.”

He added that the company is preparing for a bidding process and expects that to take three or four months.

Thai, a Thailand-based seafood conglomerate, said last month that it planned to divest from the 660-unit Red Lobster after a long streak of poor performance by the chain. Its problems came to a head in the third quarter of last year, when a $20 all-you-can-eat shrimp promotion led to an $11 million operating loss.

Those losses continued in the fourth quarter, when Red Lobster posted an operating loss of $12.5 million, its largest of the year. Thai Union cited “industry headwinds,” including higher materials costs and interest rates, for the loss.

All told, Red Lobster generated a loss of more than $22 million for Thai Union last year, exceeding the company’s already-dour forecast for the brand.

The casual-dining chain is “doing okay” on the top line, said Thai Union CFO Ludovic Garnier, but profits remain elusive.

“We are not happy with this decision [to divest], but I think it shows that we took the right decisions to move away and to exit from the business,” he said.

Red Lobster was founded by Bill Darden in 1968 and was part of Darden Restaurants until 2014, when it was acquired by Golden Gate Capital for $2.1 billion. Thai Union’s involvement began two years later, when it paid $575 million for a 25% stake in the brand. In 2020, it led an investment group that bought majority control of the chain. The terms of that deal were not disclosed.

After closing a handful of Red Lobster locations in 2022, Thai Union said early last year it intended to turn around the ailing brand, taking a more hands-on approach and making changes to the menu and operations. In September, it promoted longtime General Counsel Horace Dawson to CEO.

But after another difficult year, the company decided it wanted out. It will now turn its focus back to its core business of canned tuna, sardines and other seafood products.

Chansiri admitted that the situation has left a “big scar” on both him and Thai Union.

“Other people stop eating beef,” he said.“I’m going to stop eating lobster.”

Source https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/

Bloomin’ Brands to close 41 restaurants and open up to 45 more
The owner of Outback Steakhouse is pruning older, struggling stores in favor of new ones that generate better returns.

The parent of Outback Steakhouse and other casual brands is closing 41 underperforming restaurants but plans to offset those closures by opening as many as 45 more this year.

All but two of the closures will be in the U.S., and most of them will be Outback locations, Bloomin’ Brands executives said during a call with analysts Friday. The majority are older units, with leases dating back to the 1990s and early 2000s.

Besides Outback, Bloomin’ owns Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Fleming’s Prime and the fast-casual Outback spinoff Aussie Grill. It has nearly 1,500 restaurants worldwide.

“This decision considered a variety of factors, including sales and traffic, trade areas and the investments that would have to be made to improve the restaurants,” said CEO Dave Deno. He added that many employees of the closed restaurants will be offered new jobs elsewhere.

The closures are expected to cost the company about $100 million in revenue this year, while adding about $4 million to its earnings before taxes, interest, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).

The openings, meanwhile, will be across Bloomin’s portfolio, including 15 to 18 Outbacks. Bloomin’ also plans to continue remodeling restaurants after doing more than 100 of those last year. The company forecasted capital expenditures in the range of $270 million to $290 million for 2024.

In justifying the investment, Deno noted that new restaurants tend to generate good returns, especially in existing markets. “There’s nothing like a new Outback or two in a city to attract people and say, ‘Wow, look at that,’” he said.

The announcement followed a difficult quarter for the 688-unit Australian-themed steak chain. Same-store sales fell 0.3% after demand slowed in October but picked up through the period. The current quarter also got off to a slow start thanks to bad weather in January, but momentum has bounced back since then.

“We’ve gone from a place, especially in the fall, when Outback was behind the industry in same-store sales growth, to a point in December and into Q1 where we’re consistently ahead, and we’re very pleased about that,” Deno said.

For the year, the company is expecting same-store sales growth to be between flat and 2%, and traffic to be flat to negative 2%. Menu prices will start out about 2% higher and increase slightly over the course of the year. Bloomin’s goal is to outperform the full-service category on traffic.

“If the category’s down 2% to 3%, our traffic is going to be flat to down 2%, in that range,” CFO Christopher Meyer said.

Full-service restaurants have struggled to generate traffic growth following a surge in visits as the country emerged from the pandemic. Many brands have turned to value to appeal to price-sensitive customers.

To that end, Bloomin’ plans to spend an additional $20 million on marketing at Outback this year to raise its profile and get people to visit. Advertising will focus on new menu items and value, including LTOs like Outback’s three-course meals for $16.99.

As for Bloomin’s other brands, same-store sales rose 2.5% at Carrabba’s and fell 3% at Bonefish and 0.2% at Fleming’s. Comps at Outback’s Brazil business rose 0.6%.

The company also announced that Meyer plans to retire this year after 20 years with Bloomin’, including the past five as CFO. He’ll stay in his role until a replacement is named.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said Bloomin’s leases on the closed stores dated back to as early as the 1980s. They began in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Source https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/

Toast lays off 550 employees in restructuring
CEO Aman Narang said the company grew too quickly as it raced to meet demand. The cuts are intended to lower its operating costs.

Restaurant tech supplier Toast on Thursday laid off 550 workers, or about 10% of its staff, in a restructuring intended to lower operating costs.

In a call with analysts, CEO Aman Narang said the cuts were “the difficult but right decision.”

“It has become clear we grew too quickly in some areas” to keep up with demand, he said. Toast’s customer base has doubled since the company went public in September 2021 to about 106,000 restaurant locations.

Most of the layoffs affected non-customer-facing staff, Narang said.

The cuts came after a year of strong top-line growth for the Boston-based company. Total revenue was $3.9 billion, a 42% year-over-year increase. But Toast also reported a $246 million net loss for the year, which was driven by a $287 million loss from operations. The company’s stock price has fallen 65% since its IPO.

Toast estimated the restructuring will cost it $45 million to $55 million, and will deliver $100 million in annual savings. It plans to reinvest the savings in growth.

It also expects to continue narrowing its operating losses, with an eye on turning profitable there in the first half of 2025, said CFO Elena Gomez.

Toast generates revenue via payment processing fees, software subscriptions and hardware sales. Its products include a cloud-based POS system, handheld server tablets and back-office software. Its customers are mainly small and medium-sized restaurants, but it has begun to go after larger chains as well. On Thursday, it said 500-unit Caribou Coffee will start using its technology.

The job cuts Thursday added to a wave of tech layoffs that began in 2023 and have continued this year. Like Toast, many tech firms grew quickly during the pandemic and are now buckling down to focus on profits.

Starbucks is updating its cafes to be more accessible with new inclusive designs
Restaurant design changes include a point of sales system that’s accessible for the visually impaired, power-operated doors, and wider pedestrian paths.

Starbucks announced Friday the rollout of a new inclusive café layout, designed with accessibility in mind. The new Inclusive Spaces Framework, which creates more accessible spaces for both employees and customers with visual and audible impairment, wheelchair users, and more, is part of the company’s updated commitment to inclusivity.

Eventually, all Starbucks stores will be either built or renovated to incorporate this framework. Additionally, a Starbucks representative confirmed that the framework design will be open sourced and continuously developed for use across the retail industry.

Related: How a Starbucks legal case could change the entire union landscape

The first store built within this framework opened on Feb. 16 in Washington, D.C. at Union Market, and is staffed by both signing employees and employees that use their voices. The new features inside the store include an updated point of sales system with an adjustable angle that can be seen at multiple levels and heights, voice assist, screen magnification, menu item images and visual order confirmation.

Other features include customer order status boards that show customers when their order is ready to pick up, power-operated doors that are opened with a long vertical button that can be reached by multiple heights, and improved acoustics and adjustable lighting that reduce glare, shadows, and background noise, in order to reduce interference with hearing aids and/or visual communication. More design elements include wider pedestrian paths and lower countertops to make the store experience easier for wheelchair users, as well as more accessible equipment for baristas behind the counter and free access to the Aira app, which provides real-time interpretation for blind and low-vision customers.

Related: Starbucks commits to a higher standard of accessibility for disabled Americans

The Washington, D.C. store includes unique design features like a mural designed by a deaf artist, rounded edges, as well as large communal spaces.

“At Starbucks, we have challenged ourselves to imagine what’s possible when we take a closer look at the many ways our partners and customers interact with us and experience our stores every day,” Katie Young, senior vice president of store operations said in a statement. “Building and scaling an Inclusive Store Framework is central to our mission of connection and will lead to greater access for all.”

This is not the first time Starbucks has made headlines for its store improvements around inclusivity. In 2018, the company opened its first signing store for deaf and hearing-impaired customers and employees, which is now one of 23 similar stores globally. In 2021, the company began offering large print and braille menus to all stores across the U.S. and Canada, and in 2022, the company unveiled a sneak peek at the accessible store designs that have officially been unveiled this week.

This is not the only major company announcement Starbucks made this week. During the Seattle-based coffee chain’s last earnings call in January, Starbucks announced its newest Starbucks Reward Together partnership. The first one was with Delta, and the second one is with Bank of America. Now new details have emerged: Starting Feb. 16, customers will earn 2% cash back on top of existing card benefits and 1 Star per $2 spent at Starbucks if they link a Bank of America credit or debit card account with their Starbucks account.

“This partnership is the latest example of how we are continuing to invest in our most loyal customers to deepen engagement and connection by offering benefits and experiences that can’t be found anywhere else,” Ryan Butz, vice president of loyalty strategy and marketing at Starbucks, said in a statement.

Contact Joanna at joanna.fantozzi@informa.com

Source https://www.nrn.com/