Popular Food Trends from the 2012 NRA Show

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Single servings, sustainability and more were in vogue at this year’s NRA Show on May 5-8th!

     Low pricing was not the top priority for restaurateurs attending the 2012 NRA Show, said most suppliers at the annual event.  This year, many suppliers at the show said quality, not price, was the first concern of Restaurant operators visiting their booths — a change in attitude from recent years — as those operators sought to distinguish themselves from the competition.

     Whether it was super-premium Ibérico de bellota — Spanish pork from free-range hogs that had fattened themselves on acorns for at least 18 months — or single-origin coffee, premium products were a top food trend on display at the show this year.

Here are the rest of the top 10 trends from this year’s show:

1. Miniature or single-serving desserts. As operators sought ways to make their desserts unique and customizable, but also more healthful, they sought out single-serving items and miniature portions. Suppliers said slightly unusual flavors, such as ginger, pomegranate-berry or English butter toffee caught restaurateurs’ attention.

 2. Indulgent desserts. Sheet cakes, premium ice cream and big cookies also garnered interest, suppliers said. They also noted a dessert dichotomy, with both the richest desserts available and better-for-you options such as multigrain, low-sugar cookies catching operators’ eyes.

3. Customizable coffee. Single-serving, pour-over coffee was on display at the booths of many coffee suppliers. Some had machines that kept the water temperature consistent, took out the guesswork and eliminated the need for trained baristas.

4. Southeast Asian flavors. From coconut milk to sweet chile sauce, Southeast Asian touches were in demand at the show this year.

5. Sustainability. Many restaurant operators were asking about the origins of items, from coffee to seafood to vegetables, as they attempted to respond to consumer demand for sustainably grown and processed foods.

6. Molecular for the masses. High-tech flourishes were available for one and all to use. Fruit juice with lecithin, stored in nitrogen-charged canisters like whipped cream, were squirted out as light foam. Caviar-like pearls of balsamic vinegar or hot sauce that burst in your mouth — made through a process that the molecular gastronomers of a decade ago called “spherification” — were available frozen.

7. Better-for-you items. Kefir, the yogurt-like drink that’s the poster child for the probiotic crowd was very much on display at the show as part of a broader trend of better-for-you items, such as green tea-based soda — sweetened with stevia in some cases — or juice drinks spiked with “superfruits” such as blueberry and pomegranate.

8. Convenience solutions. Soft-serve ice cream was available in frozen “pucks,” or individual servings similar to K-Cups, that allow for no-waste portion control. Thaw-and-serve items — bread, pastry, pot pie and proteins from pork to textured soy — were available for restaurateurs seeking convenient ways to bring high-quality food to their customers without developing new areas of expertise.

9. Hypoallergenic food. Are your customers allergic to nuts? Eggs? Dairy? Gluten? That was no problem at the organic pavilion, where products with virtually nothing controversial in them were available for sampling. These one-product solutions for sensitive customers were additional examples of what operators were looking for to make their jobs easier.

6 Tips to Consider Before You Spend This Year’s Tax Refund

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     Do you spend weeks each spring eagerly anticipating your income tax refund? When the money finally comes in, is it gone tomorrow? You’re not alone. Many consumers view tax refunds as unplanned bonuses, but it makes more sense to plan for that new chunk of change so it doesn’t go to waste.

     Making smart decisions with your money is a great way to reward yourself for all the hard work you did to earn it. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of unplanned or extra cash, but you’ll be glad you saved some of it for a rainy day when the time comes to use it.

     Whether or not you are in need of debt relief, a tax refund provides the opportunity to improve your financial situation. BBB and Clear Point Credit Counseling Solutions recommend the following tips to tax refund recipients:

Pay down your debt.

     Refund checks usually arrive when many consumers are still struggling with holiday bills. Use your refund for some much needed debt relief: pay off your credit card. If you have an outstanding balance on more than one credit card, you can either try to pay off the lowest balance card first (good for motivation) or direct the funds toward the card carrying the highest interest rate (wiser from a financial perspective). Or, apply your refund toward other debts, like a car loan or home equity loan.

Consider your financial goals.

     Are you trying to save for a down payment on a house or car? Do you hop to contribute to your child’s college tuition one day? Consider applying your tax refund toward these goals. If you don’t yet have a set of short-term and long-term financial goals, put one together. You’ll be more conscientious about how you spend your tax refund, or any other extra money that comes your way.

Invest in your Business.

     If you had been waiting financially to purchase items for your Restaurant or Business, now is the time!  Use that influx of cash to Purchase items that are tax deductable next year and improve your Business today!  Buy a new Restaurant Range or Commercial Refrigerator or even just new mats for the front door or Kitchen.

Save it for a rainy day.

     Why not give yourself an even bigger return on your tax refund by putting the money into a savings account-or an emergency savings account, CD or retirement fund? Your tax refund will continue to grow if you put into savings or invest the money. Plus, it’s always helpful to have a savings account to draw from when a major car repair bill, medical emergency or other unexpected expense comes along. That way, you don’t have to borrow money and add it to your debt load.

Consider investing in your home or in others.

     Even if your finances are in good shape, your refund check provides the opportunity to improve your life or the lives of others. use the money to spruce up your home or make it more energy-efficient. Improve your career opportunities by taking a class or training course. Use your refund to teach your older children how to handle money. Give them a portion of the refund and help them budget for school, clothing and entertainment expenses and savings. Finally, you may want to donate your tax refund to a charitable organization. You’ll help improve the lives of others, and your charitable gift may reduce next year’s tax burden.

Don’t Put Yourself and Your Business at Risk for Stealing!

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     This is from our friends over at RestaurantOwner.com,  we’ve seen more than just a few independent Restaurant owners get stung, sometimes very badly, by inept bookkeeping practices.

     Having an incompetent, careless or unorganized bookkeeper exposes you to all sorts of risks. It puts the accuracy of your financial information in serious question, it can make you an easy target for fines and penalties when you’re audited by any number of possible federal and state agencies and it makes your business more susceptible to theft and fraud.

     One way to get a quick read on what kind of bookkeeper you have is to ask to see your latest bank reconciliation. You may not have a clue what to look for but stick with us here. This is VERY important.

     As the owner of a low margin business that deals with a large number of small (often cash) transactions, you MUST have assurance that your bookkeeper or accountant is preparing accurate and timely bank reconciliations.

     First, when you ask for your bank reconciliation, do you get that deer in the headlights look? Do you notice some hesitancy or the “why” question? Do they appear to be a little overly protective of “their” work? (NOTE: The bank reconciliations are YOURS, NOT theirs.)  If you notice any of the above red flags, contact your outside CPA immediately and have them investigate and determine what kind of shape your books are in and the liklihood of fraud.

     Next, when was your last bank reconciliation completed? If it has been longer than 30 days, you “may” have a problem. If it has been longer than 90 days, you DEFINITELY have a problem. Again, call your CPA on how to best proceed.

     Finally, review a few of the latest bank reconciliations. Ask questions about any adjusting entries, transfers and other reconciling items. Just ask what they are and see what kind of response you get.  Can your bookkeeper explain them to you? Does the response you get make sense? If not, you guessed it, ask your CPA to review the situation. Bookkeepers “should” be able to explain every single number on the bank rec in simple, plain language. 

     Don’t get burned by an incompetent or lazy (or dishonest) bookkeeper when you can get a pretty good sense of what’s going on with your books, often, in less than a minute.

Deciding what to Remove from your Menu is as Important as Deciding what to Add

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     From our friends at RestaurantOwner.com, independent Restaurants are notorious for adding new menu items but not retiring any; for fear of not having someones favorite!  This often leads to a bloated menu with more variety but a kitchen that is needlessly complex with lots of recipes and too many inventory items.

     For example, here is the appetizer section of a RestaurantOwner.com member containing the following 11 items:

  •   Quesadillas
  •   Beer Battered Cheese
  •   Potato Skins
  •   Chicken Wings
  •   Grilled Chicken Strips
  •   Deluxe Nachos
  •   Vegetable Platter
  •   Buffalo Fries
  •   Onion Rings
  •   Stuffed Mushrooms
  •   Western Sampler

     A quick analysis revealed that the 4 top selling appetizers made up nearly 70% of the total appetizer sales.  At the urging of an outside consultant they reluctantly agreed to eliminate several of the slowest selling appetizers, especially those that required products that weren’t used in any other menu items.

     The result was the elimination of 4 appetizers and several products from inventory that were no longer needed.  Their appetizer sales, didn’t skip a beat and they received only a few comments from customers who asked about a missing menu item.

     Sometimes deciding what to remove from your menu is just as important as deciding what to add.  Streamlining your menu can result in tighter focus on your core menu offerings (that you want do to exceptionally well), less inventory on the shelf, a more efficient kitchen and less prep.

     Fewer choices can also make it easier to steer customers to select the items you really want them to buy (high quality, easy to make and high profit).

Always Work with the Leader in Restaurant Equipment Sales, Installations, and Service

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Always Work with the Leader in Restaurant Equipment Sales, Installations, and Service

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Just Think What You Could Do with the ‘Right’ Restaurant Equipment

You’ve always had big plans for you eatery’s future, but you know some world class restaurant equipment is a big part of your expansion plans. Let’s face it, your present day restaurant equipment is just barely ‘cutting it’ as it is, and the situation will only get worse. Your head is spinning each month as you go through the ever-growing pile of restaurant equipment repair bills that are getting way out of hand. You know your present day restaurant equipment has served you well, but there’s a lot of wear and tear on just about every piece of restaurant equipment you own, and you know those mounting repair bills are going to burn a big hole through your bottom line. The answer keeps coming back to the purchase of replacement restaurant equipment that, in the long run (you know in your mind) will eventually pay for itself. Yes, world-famous maker restaurant equipment that’s designed to last for decades would be a great way to put an end to those outrageous restaurant equipment repair bills. What to do – what to do?

Today’s Restaurant Equipment Uses Hi-Tech for Low Energy Use – Energy Efficient Restaurant Equipment Puts Some Immediate Dollars in Your Pocket

You know new restaurant equipment is the solution, you know that such a decision will require a substantial investment, but, in the end, you know that restaurant equipment (some day) is going to be coming through your door. The longer you wait the more energy dollars you’re going to waste with your old restaurant equipment, and those energy dollars pile up almost as fast as those restaurant equipment repair bills. So, you’re losing money hand over fist with your old restaurant equipment. And you’re also losing business because restaurant equipment breakdowns have reduced the food quality and service more times than you’d like to remember. But your customers remember, and many never come back.

You Need Premiere Quality Yet Affordably Priced Restaurant Equipment – Where Can Such Restaurant Equipment be Found?

Okay, so you’ve finally reached the logical conclusion that the old restaurant equipment has to go – brand new, super energy efficient restaurant equipment will soon be coming through your door. The next question is: Where do you purchase leading manufacturer restaurant equipment that’s designed to last a lifetime? Where do you find restaurant equipment like that for a price that won’t put your eatery’s bottom line in the dumpster? Easy enough, when you need the very best quality, world famous maker restaurant equipment, you can buy that top quality restaurant equipment for a fantastic low price right here. Yes, we absolutely sell the best for less and we do that every day. We don’t believe in 24 hour sales events or any of that nonsense. No, we keep our restaurant equipment prices low 24/7/365. Now that you’ve decided that high quality restaurant equipment is the right choice, choose the leader in restaurant equipment sales, installations, and service. Call us anytime!

Restaurants to Outpace National Job Growth

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     Despite the sluggish recovery by the nation’s economy, the Restaurant Industry is projected to expand in 2012, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2012 Restaurant Industry Forecast released today.

     Total Restaurant Industry sales are expected to reach a record high of $632 billion in 2012 – a 3.5 percent increase over 2011. In addition, overall Restaurant Industry employment will reach 12.9 million in 2012, representing 10 percent of the totalU.S.workforce.

     “As our nation slowly recovers from the economic downturn, Restaurants continue to be a vital part of American lifestyles and our nation’s economy,” said Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association.

     In 2012, the National Restaurant Association expects the Restaurant Industry to add jobs at a 2.3 percent rate, a full percentage point above the projected 1.3 percent gain in totalU.S.employment. The industry is expected to gain back all of the jobs lost during the recession by early 2012, while the overall economy isn’t expected to be back at pre-recession employment levels until 2014.  While the industry is expected to grow in 2012, the top challenges cited by Restaurateurs are food costs, building and maintaining sales volume, and the economy.

     “Because about one-third of sales in a Restaurant go to food and beverage purchases, food prices are a crucial component for operators,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the National Restaurant Association’s Research and Knowledge group.