Michael Atanasio is director of Food and Nutrition Services and also manages patient transport and a metabolic program at Overlook Medical Center in Springfield, N.J., a 525-bed acute care facility ranked and recognized as one of the best regional medical centers by US News and World Report’s Best Hospitals study. His 32-year hospitality industry career includes 28 years in healthcare foodservice beginning in 1989 at a large multi-site medical center in New Jersey.
The 2015 NAFEM Show was a stellar success. Once again it was easy to see just why this has become the most highly anticipated show in the segment, even though it takes place only every other year. From the smallest booths of energetic participants eagerly showing off their wares to an appreciative audience to the largest booths representing hundreds of hours of work to set up and tear down, this year’s NAFEM Show was a dazzling display of stainless steel and showmanship. It occupies a place that is truly at the epicenter of the foodservice equipment and supplies world.
As the expectations for healthcare foodservice keep mounting so, too, do the creative ways that operators like Dan and countless others across the industry continue to multiply.
The historic, circa 1938, Brown Bottle pub is back in business at the Schlitz Park office complex, the former Milwaukee home of the Schlitz Brewing Company. Operating the legendary pub, which had closed in 2004, are Menomonee Falls-based Davians and D&S Food Services Inc., a catering and vending operator, which also oversees the Schlitz Park Café in the RiverCenter and The Brew in the Stock House in Milwaukee.
Michael J. Hawkins considers what it takes to attract and retain young talent in foodservice.
Family-owned businesses are central to the American economy. Approximately 90 percent of American businesses are family-owned or controlled, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Leaders of family owned and operated businesses have a daunting task in trying to be successful now while positioning their organizations for continued growth. Customers seemingly want things faster and cheaper than ever before. New technologies offer great promises but come with much risk if you are on the bleeding edge. Processing all of this can be overwhelming. Business leaders need to see what’s coming down the road, assess their business’ strengths and weaknesses, and take action quickly to remain one step ahead of the competition.
Chef Gerard Craft, a five-time James Beard Foundation Best Chef Midwest nominee, is the executive chef and owner of Niche Food Group in St. Louis, Mo., the parent company of the original Niche (open since 2005) as well as Taste by Niche, Brasserie by Niche and casual Italian concept Pastaria. Porano Pasta + Gelato, opening mid-summer, will be Craft's fifth concept and first foray into the fast-casual segment.
This is the tantalizing phrase that Jackie Rodriguez, senior manager with Technomic, uses to describe the growing trend towards taking foodservice to on-the-move consumers via smaller, highly focused outlets. This emerging category includes a variety of outlets such as food trucks, kiosks, micro-marts, and even high-tech vending machines. The aim is a marriage between creative high-quality food offerings and convenience, and the early adopters tend to be younger consumers who are more accustomed to eating on the run.
Fast-casual concepts seem to dominate the foodservice industry discussion these days, and with good reason. Many of these operators have found the way to meet customers' demands for quality, innovative menu items in a way that resonates with time-strapped customers. This phenomenon is certainly not lost on the world of corporate dining.
Once upon a time, if you wanted to consume food prepared outside of the home you had to go straight to the source, which tended to be a large monolithic structure that required lots of fire power to execute most any kind of menu. Oh, how times have changed.
Commercial kitchens keep getting smaller. Increasingly, restaurateurs want to dedicate more space to the revenue-generating front of house and reduce space in the back of house. And the rapid increase of pop-up restaurants and food trucks further drives this small kitchen trend to new heights.
Most of today's foodservice projects seem to share two common traits: they are all more complex than ever before and operate on a fast-track development schedule. Factor in tighter budgets and higher than normal customer expectations and the project has no room for error. In this environment, these projects often require the specialized expertise and experience of both design and management advisory consultants to not only make the most effective and efficient use of the resources available but to also position the operation for long-term success.
The first thing that you should understand is that Joe Carbonara, our chief editor, does not give up the reins easily. Especially when it comes to the things that Joe loves to do, like the tabletop judging that he oversees each year for FE&S.
We are excited to share the story behind the success of FE&S' 2015 Dealer of the Year Award recipient, Clark Associates, Inc. By merely glancing at Clark Associates' impressive growth over the past few years, you will quickly understand why they were considered for this award in the first place. But, FE&S' Dealer of the Year Award is much more than a simple measure of sales success.
Rome native Chef Massimo Falsini has made Hawaii his career high point, home and paradise.
My ?rst NAFEM show.
Wow. I’m pretty new to the industry. Four years ago, if you had asked me if I knew a good New York rep group, I would have said Run-DMC. But now I know that’s hip-hop, not tabletop. I got kitchen-cred. Or as one foodservice equipment manufacturer would say: I’m “fluent in foodservice.”
Years of poor handwashing in restaurants have resulted in unnecessary risk for operators. They have been exposed to unrelenting cost cuts under a banner of value-engineering solutions without any way to defend the most important values: safety and business continuity.
Chef's Corner: Jared Wentworth, Chef/Partner, Longman & Eagle, Dusek’s and The Promontory in Chicago
The Promontory is the latest addition to chef and entrepreneur Jared Wentworth’s growing empire that also includes the wildly successful Longman & Eagle and Dusek’s, a modern brewpub in Chicago. A graduate of Kendall College, Wentworth has spent time in the kitchens of David Burke, John Hogan and the late Keith Korn. The recipient of a Michelin star for the past five years, Chef Wentworth strives to run sustainable kitchens with a devotion to local foods and seasonal fare.
Seems like people often want help identifying the next great equipment or supply item that will help propel their foodservice business forward. In other words, everyone continues to search for the foodservice equipment and supplies industry’s version of the iPhone. Unfortunately, such an innovation does not exist nor will it any time soon.
