When I was a kid “pork and beans” was of a can of saucy cooked legumes with a big lump of fat in it.   

How times have changed!

 

Two of the top R&D chefs in the Midwest demonstrated how deliciously different “pork and beans” can be at a recent Research Chefs Association meeting in Chicago.  John Draz, Executive Research Chef of Ed Miniat, Inc. and Eric White, Research Chef of Archer Daniels Midland created an…

There are definitely common traits shared by the best Facebook fan pages. They look good, are filled with useful information and provide an opportunity for the business to interact with its customers. In no particular order, here are a few fan pages we think those of you in the industry…

An interesting vote is taking place Nov. 1 in Denver that some believe could have…

With so much going on these days on Facebook (Yes, we know you want Mark Zuckerberg to quit tinkering) it can be difficult to draw the attention of users to your business and its fan page. One way to cut through the noise is with a contest.



Giving potential customers/fans…

The Great Recession shook up lodging and food service companies of all sizes, and every one flattened their executive and management ranks while slashing G&A.  So how did some companies persevere, even grow, during the last three years?  Why are some striding, even strutting, while others are barely crawling?

Innovation.

One month ago today at…

In little old Albuquerque, where I reside when not on the road, we’re fortunate to have a very good business and economics writer named Winthrop Quigley; he recently wrote a column which began “Steve Jobs killed my employer”, about the cycle of destruction and rebirth in the tech industry.  Here’s a link if you’d like to read his piece:…

As a restaurateur, cook, chef, business owner, or even a server or bartender, we have a life outside the walls of work. One of the hardest things to do is to balance our lives in this regard. We have all seen employees, managers, chefs, or even business owners burn out in a few months if not shorter because they cannot balance their work life and their home life. Whether you are new to the business or you have been doing it your whole life, you may have a tough time letting others take on…

While Yogi Berra didn't originate the quote "numbers are clearly important to those who count on them", he could have.

1,460 days is exactly 4 years, assuming the 365-day calendar is the one we all share. Four years is equal to 32 dog years. One can almost earn a college degree in four years. The world cup happens every four years as does the Olympics,…

Monday was the first annual Food Day. Food Day is a day devoted to awareness and celebration of consuming local and healthy food. Proclaimed by over 30 governors and mayors, this day was observed in one form or another in all 50 states with over 20,000 organized events. The buzz in the social sphere was also booming. Use of the #FoodDay hashtag generated 2,328,052 impressions reaching an audience of 1,368,352 people and while conversations continue to unfold on twitter, that…

Triple Seating a Big No, No!!!

A funny post from the Broward-Palm Beach New Times’s food blog, Foodie Fun. Entrants include a a human-sized mushroom, a plate of…

There’s just no way around it: Despite the best efforts of those nerds at Research in Motion, surfing the internet with a smart phone isn’t as quick or efficient as using a laptop or desktop computer. Between fat fingers and Flash compatibility it can sometimes feels like performing a…

With summer in the rear view mirror, it’s time to turn your promotional attention to the fall season. There are no times of the year without season-specific opportunities and autumn is no different.

Here are a few ideas to consider as you schedule your bar’s calendar of events for the…

By Celeste Edman, Marketing Expert

Can you text me my schedule?

There it waits faithfully in the hallway, between your employees' lockers and your desk piled high with to-dos from the last three months, soberly displaying employee policies and regulations, schedules, new positions, and best wishes to those who are moving on. Its cork background is shredded from years of thumb tacks hastily pulled and re-tacked while ripped and aging corners of paper remain from past…

When the chef is out, you are it. You are the main guy that everyone, cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, and servers look to for all the answers. The minute you panic, they all panic. Keep a cool head and split your problems up. Delegate: Delegate with authority and confidence. Never place blame: On equipment or persons. If you are the IT guy, you…

It's Always about Butts in Seats

Owning or managing a restaurant is tough stuff.  For all the things that you are responsible for: the menu, prep, inventory, safety aspects, health aspects, constant cleanliness, temperature monitoring, dining room ambiance, staff…there’s so much stuff.  The bottom line is -it’s really all about butts in the seats: if customers come, you are successful…

I recently stumbled upon this article from Health magazine: America’s Top 10 Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants.  As a secret lover of fast food (a treat that I only enjoy on road trips) I was intrigued. Surprisingly, there were more restaurants listed that I haven’t I have never even heard of, much less visited.

Time to investigate.

Jason’s…

Culinary and hospitality schools afford me the privilege of lecturing to future leaders on the finer points of interviewing skills, résumé writing, business correspondence and job hunting.  I spend a good portion of the résumé-writing time discussing the importance of using “impact” language to describe career experience.

But you really can’t use impact terms if you’re not an impact player!

The Encarta Dictionary cites one definition of impact as “the powerful or dramatic…

Strolling along a country path with a meditative mind, I observed how many different colors canvassed the landscape I tread upon.  As I listened to the sounds of the earth and watched the falcon soaring trough the winds strategically above me, I stumbled upon a young pensive man sitting on the pier ahead.

With his feet dangling from the worn fishing pier, his toes simply…