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Volume 8, Issue 29 July 20, 2007 |
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Weekly News in Review
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| In Chefology 101, kids become cooks |
The lunch menu could have appeared at a five-star restaurant: A spring-mix salad with herb vinaigrette for a starter, Chicken Involtini for an entrée and an apple caramel crisp for dessert.
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Read Article Browse All News | Source: Denton Publishing Co. |
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| Denver scales new epicurean heights |
When the Democrats finally get around to staging their national convention here next summer, they'll discover an emerging dining scene long on diversity, short on superstar candidates and eager to shed its reputation as a culinary backwater.
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Read Article Browse All News | Source: USA Today |
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| Chili sauce sickens 4 with botulism |
Federal health officials warned consumers Wednesday to throw away certain cans of hot dog chili sauce after the product was linked to the first cases of botulism in commercially canned foods in decades.
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Read Article Browse All News | Source: QSR Magazine |
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| NASDAQ, NRA to Host Food and Restaurant Industry Forum |
The NASDAQ Stock Market will host an industry forum, including panel discussions and NASDAQ Closing Bell, to discuss the state of the industry and trends within the Food and Restaurant industry sector.
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Read Article Browse All News | Source: Drinks Media Wire |
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| Archrivals Storm Starbucks |
Take a quick drive on a weekday morning through Needham, Mass., a typical suburban community outside Boston, and you'll see hordes of commuters queuing up for their morning joe. A Dunkin' Donuts that opened a few years ago along the main drag is the busiest spot, followed by a McDonald's (MCD) that serves Paul Newman's organic coffee for free to early risers. The least busy spot? A Starbucks (SBUX) across from one of the town's four commuter rail stations.
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Read Article Browse All News | Source: BusinessWeek |
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| McDonald's CEO says U.S. potential still "huge" |
McDonald's Corp.'s chief executive sees plenty of room to increase U.S. sales and said it continues to review its debt levels, which it will discuss on a conference call with analysts next week.
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Read Article Browse All News | Source: Reuters |
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| Ethnic influences on the menu |
Ethnic adventures are one of the top culinary trends influencing American restaurant menus. While Asian cuisine leads the way, new menu items offer a cornucopia - from Caribbean, South and Central American and African - of flavors.
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Read Article Browse All News | Source: Hotel News Resource |
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More News | Casual Dining News | QSR News | Fast Casual News | Manufacturer News
Be sure to visit Foodservice.com daily for the latest industry news!
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| For information about sponsoring this newsletter, please visit our Marketing Center |
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Don't Compromise: Clean and Sanitize
By Lacie Thrall
Cleaning vs. Sanitizing - Cleaning is the process of removing food and other types of soil from a surface (what you can see). Sanitizing is the process of reducing the number of microorganisms on a clean surface to safe levels (removing microorganisms you cannot see). Both can be done with heat or chemicals. Sometimes we misuse terms regarding sanitation, so to further clarify definitions for killing microorganisms, disinfection and sterilization methods are much higher levels of microorganism destruction than sanitizing. They are done by higher heat or higher chemical concentration or just stronger chemicals. Disinfection might be used for non-food contact surfaces such as floors or walls. Sterilization is used on medical equipment and some food processing equipment, but not in a kitchen environment.
Any surface that comes in contact with food such as a cutting board or utensil must be cleaned and sanitized:
After each use of that piece of equipment.
Anytime you begin working with another type of food - special care is needed between raw food and ready-to-eat food preparation.
Anytime you are interrupted during a task and the tools or items you have been working with may have been contaminated. Busy rush periods or receiving deliveries might be examples.
At four-hour intervals if the food contact equipment is in constant use. A good example is a deli slicer or knife, but hopefully you clean and sanitize heavily used equipment even more often than the 4 hour maximum to help control cross-contamination.
Read More
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"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure."
- Mark Twain
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Hands and Arms(4) - When to Wash
Our goal for writing these articles is to give you, the operator, a better understanding of the current 2005 FDA Food Code.
Question: When do I need to have my employees wash their hands?
Answer: 2-301.14 When to Wash. Food employees shall clean their hands and exposed portions of their arms as specified under § 2-301.12 immediately before engaging in food preparation including working with exposed food, clean equipment and utensils, and unwrapped single service and single use articles and:
(A) After touching bare human body parts other than clean hands and clean, exposed portions of arms;
(B) After using the toilet room;
(C) After caring for or handling service animals or aquatic animals as specified in 2-403.11(B)
(D) Except as specified in 2-401.11 (B); after coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or disposable tissue, using tobacco, eating or drinking;
(E) After handling soiled equipment or utensils;
(F) During food preparation, as often as necessary to remove soil and contamination and to prevent cross contamination when changing tasks;
(G) When switching between working with raw food and working with ready to eat food;
(H) Before donning gloves for working with food; and
(I) After engaging in other activities that contaminate the hands.
The hands may become contaminated when the food employee engages in specific activities. The increased risk of contamination requires handwashing immediately after the activities listed. The specific examples listed in this Code section are not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees must wash their hands after any activity, which may result in contamination of the hands.
Details Available in our Food Safety Area
For further information, contact your local, regional or state regulatory agency.
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Note: The Market Reports are not available this week, but will return with next week's edition.
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The Employment Center is your gateway
for posting job listings or your resume
into 3 of the most
popular sites
in the foodservice industry.
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Billboards?
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I have been contemplating a billboard to advertise my restaurant. We are off the beaten path by a couple streets and I can't put a sign on the main road because of local ordinances. So I thought having a billboard might draw the attention to our name and just keep it fresh in there minds, since they don't see my restaurant every day. Plus it would be nice to draw in some people driving through town.
Basically i am curious as to peoples thoughts on them. Pricing if anyone knows. And really just if you all think they are justified for what I am trying to do. I am tired of advertising in the paper to the same audience.
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Buy a Restaurant- Not a Job
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If you are thinking of buying a restaurant there is something I'd like you to consider, buy a restaurant - NOT a job. Unless you have owned a restaurant in the past - you have no experience as a restaurant owner. I know that is painfully obvious, but it is probably the biggest reason why new restaurants fail at such a high rate. Sure many industry experts try to point to lack of capital as the leading reason - but if you peel the onion a layer or two you'll find that even if a place closed due to a lack of capital it was because the owner wasted it on something stupid. Why people believe they can assume the role as owner of a restaurant without experience escapes me, and while part of my job as a consultant is to assist people from losing their life savings by helping them - I would be happy to set that aside and instead concentrate on assisting them in opening new locations.
In addition to having to have the money to buy a restaurant, a person who plans on being a successful restaurateur must have vision, a burning desire and maybe most important humility. They must be able to admit to themselves that they do not know how to successfully own or operate a restaurant - and if they can do that - 50% of the battle is won. Only then will a person be respective enough to begin surrounding themselves with the team that they need to accomplish the task of opening and maintaining a successful restaurant.
The position of "Owner" carries with it a long list of responsibilities without even adding one responsibility that typically belongs to any other person working in the restaurant - including those of the General Manager or Chef. Every responsibility that a "Owner" assumes that would otherwise belong to another team member dilutes their ability to perform optimally as an Owner. It is NOT the owners job to cook, wait tables, wash dishes, fix equipment, count the inventory or even count the daily receipts - their job is to make sure that the restaurant is open - period. I realize that there are many owners that will read this and think that I am crazy because if they did not put their 12 hours a day in at their place it would go under , not to mention the fact that they feel that can not possibly afford to hire someone to do all the things they do - which I am sorry to say is simply not true. In fact it many cases it is actually the owners perching presence that prevents the operation from running as smooth as it may otherwise.
The fact is that for a place to be successful it requires a driving force outside of its four walls, it must be monitored, measured and adjusted constantly from unobstructed vantage point - which simply can not be achieved by someone to close to the situation. Please understand that I am not saying that an owner should not be involved - they should, but they can accomplish much more by continuing their education ( attending workshops/seminars, staying current with industry trends and cycles , local business networking, community involvement, etc ). Are there places that are successful where the owner is active in the day to day operation on a hands on level - yes , but in most of those cases the owner sacrifices not only their social and family life, but often their health as well once they become burnt out.
My point is - if you want a position where you must be everything to everyone, take a job as a General Manager for a large chain , you still will have no life but at least then you will earn a decent salary, have benefits and get a week or two off each year to lick your wounds. If you want to be an owner - be a good one, be the type of well informed owner that knows when and how to help their staff and maybe more importantly - when to leave them alone and let their staff do their job.
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My various colors almost cover the entire rainbow
I am originally from the Middle East and Central Asia. I have been cultivated there for thousands of years. I am a member in good standing of the Umbelliferae family (you may have heard of my cousin hemlock, I know Socrates has). I am a biennial plant and have hundreds of varieties ranging in height, thickness and color. In fact my various colors almost cover the entire rainbow including, white, orange, red, purple, and if left out to long, black. I am produced globally but my largest crops come from the United States, China, England, France, Japan, and Poland. My uses are truly universal. Need to soothe a burn? Use me raw as a compress for immediate relief. Menstrual cramping got you bloated? Don't run to the medicine cabinet, head for the refrigerator and munch out on me. Wanna make your wine more interesting? Use me in the fermentation process and cheer the results. On the culinary side, I have one danger. Excessive consumption will make your skin color, my primary skin color. This is a great alternative to the tanning salon. You will enjoy me in crudités, soups, salads, sandwiches, cookies, cakes, or classically glazed with brown sugar and butter. I am a dieter's delight with my way low calories, and don't even talk to me about fat, I have none! I am 87% water yet rich in vitamin A and Potassium. My slender shape also contains Vitamin C, Thiamin, Folic Acid, and Magnesium. My oil is rich in Vitamin E. These days you could very well find me skinned and topless, but don't worry, that gets me to the plate more quickly. Children thrive on my babies, horses love the old folks. Why, with this many colors shapes and uses, everyone will find a variety that suits them. You shouldn't have to jump in a hole to enjoy me any more.
What am I?
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The Food Quiz has is brought to you by Culinary Specialty Produce, a specialty produce broker that scours the world for the very best in specialty produce. Contact them at 908-789-4700 or by sending an email to info@culinaryproduce.com.
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