January 2011 Blog Posts (32)

In October 2009 I posted the first Not Quite Time for Change Blog about the menu labeling bill in New York City, and the lack of results in healthier ordering to come from it.  I have similar findings to report form you from King County Washington’s menu labeling bill.

The King County Menu Labeling Law has been in effect for over a year now,…

At Aroma Thyme we have done extensive research on vegetable cooking oils. Our goal is to provide the best health without compromising taste & overall quality.



Marcus Guiliano, Chef and Owner of Aroma Thyme Bistro located in Ellenville, NY in the scenic Hudson Valley. Aroma Thyme is know for their "stealth health"(Zagat). The Bistro has an award-winning wine list from Wine Spectator Magazine and over 200 beers. Aroma Thyme is certified green by The Green…

Well....  Been lately looking at getting the CMP certifacation and was wondering the dividends that played out for some of my fellow FohBoh peeps.  Send me a line if you are a CMP....  Got some questions!!!

Thanks...........  Bryon

Who shuts down their business for 2 ½ days and invites all of their employees (all 140 of them) to attend a summit where everyone gets to have a voice in shaping the company’s vision? 

The Great Lakes Brewing Company, that’s who… If you live in Cleveland or the surrounding area you are…

Building a website has been an increasing trend these days and I personally have gained from online tutorials and trainings. Yet now that we have a leverage, our expertise that is, we then can share it to the world. This offers the creative excellence on advertising combined with the technical expertise of a world-class web development team should we hire one.

The "architects" of online marketing are increasingly getting very good at their craft.…

Restaurants are places bustling with people of different walks in life, waiters and waitresses in a hustle almost always with a tray of food. They too burst from heavy kitchen doors carrying drinks, food, and heavy trays they support skillfully with only one arm. Picture this, and most likely, accidents are bound to happen in such a busy environment. To date, the restaurant industry has more than average accidents ascompared to other business sectors.

Accidents can occur in a variety…

I predict that the restaurant industry will have an incredible year in 2011. Even with commodity prices moving up a bit, more competition from grocery stores and “designer” C-stores and those pesky systemic issues that never seem to go away like  - unionization, minimum wage, healthcare, menu labeling, immigration, employee turnover and a scarcity of growth capital. This is baggage and just part of the deal. What I see has changed is attitude and a…

The annual employee party for the Cook's Lobster House team was the stepping stone for what is now a goal to be the regional best at restaurant challenge. Two intense competitions were held for the right to be called the best. The Server obstacal course. Servers walk and run through a course carrying four martini glasses full to the top, trying to avoid spilling. The second compititon was a silverware sorting competition. Speed and acurracy were the key to success…

Most restaurants have a saute station. Most of these saute station have teflon pans. Teflon has had had many associated toxic risks. Even aluminum has been linked as well. Especially when you cook acidic items like tomato sauce in them. In fact if you were to wrap lasagna in foil the foil would start to "melt" away in the food. Our top choice is stainless steel cookware. 

Marcus Guiliano, Chef and Owner of Aroma Thyme Bistro located in Ellenville, NY in the…

Restaurant Marketing: In a recent workshop I gave, an attendee who had an Italian restaurant said they get a tremendous amount of business from a local funeral home.

I asked how that all came about ... he simply approached the director of the home and inquired if there was ever a need to provide food for a wake or a similar event to please consider us as your…

My gym is famous for its signs.  I often wonder who comes up with the content for these signs.  I have to tell you about three of my favorites. 

Before I begin, allow me to provide you with a brief background on my gym.  It’s a beautiful facility located within about 5 minutes of my house and my office.  I love the convenience and the equipment they offer and that’s about it.  Then there’s the signs…

The first sign I noticed is located above…

I could begin to feel the circuits overheating. 

I had been very active with several different chat groups, creating a new one, researching Social Media related issues for work as well as running and responding to all the Social Media there and making new followers and friends at a rate that would…

I've had the privilege to work with bars to help manage and improve their social media efforts. There's no question Facebook and Twitter are both incredibly powerful because of their reach and ability to engage and get valuable feedback from customers. However, we also need to keep an eye out for technology that can improve the experience when visiting your establishment. 

TabbedOut is an app that allows customers to…

the more they stay the same! It's a new year and yet some of the most basic and important points about the guest experience still seem to have escaped some restaurant employees in places  we've loved and cared about. That's not to say, however, that there aren't plenty of operators who not only 'get it' but have managed to impart a real desire to serve the guest to each and every member of their team.

Yes, as operators tell us all the time, labor is this industry's continuing problem,…

Joe Sorge, the driving force behind AJ Bombers Restaurant & Bar in Milwaukee has had amazing success with Foursquare, the location based app for smart…

I strongly urge all restaurant and foodservice operators to attend this valuable seminar. It may have a dramatic impact on your restaurant operation and also your profitability. Both speakers are excellent!

The Food Service Technology Center will be presenting…

Settingthe Record Straight:  What’s going on with the National Menu Labeling Law?

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Find out about Google's new local advertising program, Google Tags, how and why Google Places has changed their algorithm and how to optimize your local presence (regardless of your niche) in less than 10 minutes.

Please make sure that you select the "720p" option at the bottom right-hand corner (upon hitting the play button) and allow a few moments for the video to load. You can watch this video in full screen…