Gourmet on the go

At the 2010 NRA show I noticed several vehicles very well equipped to transport food. In Chicago the only mobile food is ice cream so I did not see the need. However the mobile trend across the nation has not reached this little hamlet on the southwestern edge of Lake Michigan.

Monica Eng explains

In the last couple of years, a gourmet food truck craze has swept cities from Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, to New York and Minneapolis. High-end chefs and talented amateurs have hopped in mobile kitchens to serve kimchi tacos, grilled cheese sandwiches and Latin-Asian chow to foodies who follow them on Twitter and line up in convivial droves.

Diet Coke your way.

The Coke Freestyle dispenser is shaking up the dispenser world at the NRA Show. Que up to order your favorite beverage any way you like it. Touch screens allow you to make your selection and magic happens. Coke has been testing this machine in selected markets and will roll it to a restaurant near you very soon.

Organic aisle has energy

The Organic aisles at the NRA show clearly had resonating energy, in large part to the proximity of the vendors and the smaller aisles. The Truitt Brothers presentation in the Conserve pavilion emphasized two aspects of the whole sustainability sphere that are necessary. One, it has to add value to the equation or it will not be self sustaining. Two, the most popular and effective avenue for communicating the message is storytelling because it invests the customer in the process.

Palm reading.

Jeff Imm shared this tidbit during his presentation in the Technology Pavilion on Tuesday 5/25.
"The next biometric identifier will be reading the veins in your hand." Average employees will have their hands scanned to sign in for work.

NRA 2010: Operational

PCI

Open Table

Fishbowl

The Lease Coach

MobiDines

Pizza Butler

FOHBOH

Technomic

Readyping

NRA 2010: POS

Restaurant Manager

Micros

Squirrel


Surprising the focus was not as heavy into wireless as I had supposed. My thinking was that wireless would be the only options they would be promoting.

NRA 2010: Menu

Words are all I have

Copper Tea

HomeFree Treats

The Niman Ranch

Berzaci

NRA 2010: Design

Tabletop Fire pits

Tuuci

The Dobbins Group

Grosfilex

Big Ass Fans

Calcana-patio heaters

Cabreeze

NRA 2010: Rework the menu

Press release from: Culinology

Moderated by RCA Immediate Past President Harry Crane (Kraft Foods, Inc.) and joined by influential panelists including Robert Okura (The Cheesecake Factory) and Rick Tramonto (Tru Restaurant), this highly anticipated session will feature a notable panel of industry professionals each having value-engineered menus at operations ranging from QSR’s to fine dining. They will share their savvy approach to Culinology®, the successful blending of culinary arts and food science.

All NRA Show attendees are invited to attend this educational session, taking place on Saturday, May 22 from noon to 1:30 p.m., room S403a, McCormick Place , Chicago .

Moderator
Harry Crane
Executive Chef Culinary Resources & Strategy, Kraft Foods, Inc.

Panelists
Melissa Haupt
Executive Chef, Applebee's Services

Robert Okura
VP of Culinary Development/Corporate Executive Chef, The Cheesecake Factory

Marshall Scarborough
Manager Product Development/Research Chef, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Cammie Spillyards
Director of Food and Beverage Innovation, Chili's Bar and Grill

Rick Tramonto
Executive Chef/Partner, Tru Restaurant

The rise of Fast Casual:

The "Fast Casual - Heating up the Restaurant Industry" seminar at the NRA was a joy to attend. the panel included Louis, Don and Husein who clearly are passionate about this segment. It is my favorite segment in the restaurant industry.

The economic maelstrom has accelerated the rise of the Fast Casual. The NRA panel addressed the elements of Fast Casual"

Fresh
Friendly employees
First Rate
Fair price
Pay first
Full View Preparation
Fine Ingredients
Flexible Offerings
Fast Service

The Wow of Fast Casual:

Differentiation
Innovation
Brand Promise
Quality Driven Financial performance

The value equation of Fast Casual; V=P+F+S+A+E

Passion
Fresh Quality Food
Service, being attentive to the customers needs
Ambiance, very clean space which resonates with energy, vibe
Execution, leadership drives the elements of the operation
Value = brand experience

NRA: Operator Strategies

Hudson Riehle and Nicole Valenti presented a seminar on the results of a recently NRA commissioned survey on current trends. The current economic environment is the most challenging in the careers of all current operators. No one has experience with tsunami shifts that have occurred over the past two years. There will be permanent displacements and lasting changes from learned habits necessary for surviving this environment. Menu price inflation has climbed unabated for several years and the industry is changing by adding new foodstuffs which are coming online and many of those are taking root.

Higher income households have had their balance sheets under stress during this period and that has contracted the disposable personal income available which has put considerable pressure on restaurant spending. The number one way that operators are managing costs is by cutting or redeploying labor. This is in striking difference to the study two years which listed recruiting and retaining labor as the major challenge.

There were two things that were really confusing to me, 1) Of the three hundred seats available, barely a third were occupied. NRA has incredible resources which are not being utilized fully by its members. 2) 45% of respondents did not believe the credit crisis effected their business. Cash is still king in the restaurant business.

The RPI Index has turned ever so slightly upward and operator outlook has improved. Key to future upturn is the belief that 90% of adults enjoy eating out at restaurants.

NRA: Mobile marketing

Opt it

Jittergram

mUrgent

Connecting with your guests necessitates exploring differing channels. You do not have to participate in every channel, however restaurateurs need to be aware of them.

NRA; Healthty Beverages

POM Wonderful, the drink tastes great and is good for you. Plus there is a story

Adagio Teas, tea is its own reward.

Wine enough said!

NRA: Sustainability

The focus on sustainability lacks the fervor of last years show, however sustainability is becoming much more ingrained in our collective imagination.

Stalk Market offers compostable tableware, flatware, and packaging.

Eco-story offers LED solutions

Max-R offers recycled solutions

Restaurant Bags offer options for take out.

NRA: Furniture and Decorations

The Canvass Nursey blossomed.

Domitalia brought style and elegance to the floor.

Smith and Hawken and Tuuci reminded weary northerners that winter was finally behind them.

NRA: Entertainment

Characters Unlimited entertained and fascinated show goers as they stood spellbound by the speaking characters.

Finest Call an able bartender dazzling patrons walking by with flying bottles and mixing cups

Tilted Kilt was very popular. Beer, guys and gals go figure.

Welcome to Chicago NRA 2009

Let the party begin. The guests have arrived, the displays are up, anticipation is in the air, hope stirs anew.

NRA 2009

Andy is moderating the Executive Breakfast.

Visit all the great restaurants in Chicago.

Enjoy your visit to the 2016 Olympic Candidate city.

The Happiness Business:

Andy Sernovitz’s session “Word of Mouth Marketing for Restaurants”
begins with Andy asking the audience to lower their expectations
and then he exceeds them by ending with Happiness.

"Restaurateur’s are in the happiness business.
There are five steps that Andy espouses to create Word of Mouth
Marketing.

1) Find people who will talk, amazingly these people may not be your best customers.

2) Give people a reason to talk.

3) Help spread the message.

4) Join the conversation yourself.

5) Measure and Listen"

Andy was very successful at creating happiness in his
educational session.

Limited Time Offers:

Michael Ochs of International Diary Queen commented on the success that Diary Queen has with Limited Time Offers (LTO’s). He was specifically speaking to the supply chain management and how to source the promotion without leaving huge quantities of unused products at the promotions end.

Let’s consider what attracts people to LTO’s. Scarcity is very seductive. People want something that is unique and in limited supply. They further enjoy the surprise nature of a LTO.

Happenings at NRA 2008 Day 2:

A cool sunny morning in Chicago brought out the caffeine lovers. The lines at Starbucks were thirty deep at 10:00am on Level 3. Mind you there is free caffeine at several coffee, espresso and tea purveyors on the show floor. Walking by the Nayer Kazemi booth provided a Zen moment between educational sessions.