How 12 Food Service Trendsetters Will “Healthify” In 2016

Apr 18, 2016

(Via NRN.com) The new year has arrived, and 2016 already promises to be a year driven by consumer demand for nutrient-dense menu choices prepared with clean, locally sourced ingredients and easy-to-use nutrition and allergen information. This growing demand translates into a wealth of opportunity for restaurants to leverage a healthy bottom line. NRN contributor and Healthy Dining president Anita Jones-Mueller asked some industry trendsetters, “What are you doing to ‘healthify’ in 2016?” Here’s what they said.

Anita Jones-Mueller, MPH, is a contributor to NRN and president and founder of Healthy Dining and HealthyDiningFinder.com. This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of Nation’s Restaurant News.

Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO, National Restaurant Association

“I will be ‘healthifying’ at the National Restaurant Association by instituting walking meetings so that we are walking around outside rather than always sitting during one on one meetings. We are also thrilled to be celebrating the fifth birthday of the Kids LiveWell program in 2016. This fifth year marks a tremendous effort on behalf of participating restaurants — coast to coast — to contribute to the health and well-being of our nation’s children. We are proud that the Kids LiveWell program is helping families nourish their children while enjoying the dining out experience that our industry is passionate about.”
Photo: Chuck Fazio

Tom Boucher, CEO, and Nicole Barreira, corporate chef, Great NH Restaurants

“In 2016, our menu development will continue to focus on providing guests with healthful choices across our three New Hampshire-based concepts, T-BONES Great American Eatery, CJ’s Great West Grill and Copper Door Restaurant, including our children’s menus. Our culinary team defines healthful as dishes and options that provide guests with not only the ‘traditional’ low fat, low calorie and low carbohydrate options, but also dishes created with superior-quality ingredients, scratch-made recipes, nutrient-rich vegetables and grains, along with the freshest locally sourced items possible. All of these elements produce a variety of healthful options that matter to our guests’ individual needs and preferences. As a company and per our culture, we’ll continue to encourage employees to maintain a healthy work/life balance. We have invested in and started to roll out a 2016 leadership training program to further educate and inspire managers to be the best leaders they can be…for their teams, themselves and for the businesses they are running.”
Photo: Great NH Restaurants

GJ Hart, executive chairman, president and CEO, California Pizza Kitchen

“As many of us strive to make healthy choices in our lives and in our diets, the culinary team at California Pizza Kitchen is hard at work innovating with ingredients and techniques that offer full-flavor, healthful menu options. We’re helping our guests ‘eat with the seasons’ by featuring seasonal ingredients on our menu that are at their peak freshness, like hearty root vegetables and citrus in the winter and berries in the summer. We’re also using spices in unique ways, like fennel in our California Roots Cocktail, nutrient-rich grains like farro and techniques like pickling, that amp up flavor in a healthy way. Our guests never have to sacrifice big, bold flavor for the sake of fewer calories or fats in their diet.”
Photo: California Pizza Kitchen

Ype Von Hengst, co-founder, executive chef and VP culinary operations, Silver Diner

“For 2016, I am continuing the journey of fresh and local…it is still the biggest chance in the industry and will be for some time. In addition, I will test more center-of-the-plate veggie items, downsized desserts, and recipes using African and Middle Eastern spices, all of which are becoming increasingly popular. Homemade fruit-based sodas will be a great opportunity to steer the guest away from unhealthy drinks. Non-GMO is on the rise, and I will seize opportunities in this area as well for 2016. Finally, elevating peasant food, like we have done with our Truffled Organic Bison Meat Loaf and Upscale Pot Pie, is on my resolution list for 2016.”
Photo: Silver Diner

George Michel, CEO, Boston Market

“The world is focused on making food faster, more portable and more profitable. Boston Market promises just one thing… to make food good. This promise will continue to define Boston Market’s strategy through 2016 as we focus on serving ‘better for you’ meals that guests can feel good about eating and serving to their friends and family. As part of this, we hope to grow our healthful menu, which currently features 150 meal combinations containing 550 calories or less — it’s among the largest of its kind for fast-casual restaurants. Boston Market will continue to be a proud participant in the National Restaurant Association’s Kids LiveWell program and a strategic partner of the United States Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate program through 2016.”
Photo: Boston Market

Meghan Dwyer, brand marketing manager, Umami Burger

“Umami Burger is resolving to add two to four more vegetable-dominant dishes to our menu for some lighter fare. We are already experimenting with Asian and umami flavors on broccolini, Brussels sprouts and shishito peppers.”
Photo: Umami Burger

Ralph Rubio, co-founder, Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill

“I’m looking forward to our new grilled Wild Alaska Coho Tacos and Salads coming to Rubio’s this summer! Personally, I will be playing more tennis, pursuing more strenuous cardio workouts in preparation for my rec soccer season, and eating less meat (chicken and beef) and more veggies. In fact, I’ve recently started preparing my own vegetarian ground meat recipe at home using red chili, garlic and black pepper to add lots of flavor. At Rubio’s, ‘Ocean Goodness,’ whether it’s continued focus on serving quality, sustainable seafood, or creating new, bold flavors like our new Smoky Oaxacan Shrimp, ‘healthifying’ will be a major theme for me next year. Wishing all a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2016!”
Photo: Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill

Fred LeFranc, CEO, Results Thru Strategy

“I have been a board member and consultant with Healthy Dining for over eight years. As a result, I have become keenly aware of what I eat and how I exercise. Each year, I commit a week to visit the Ashram Wellness retreat in California for a 75-mile hike and a week of exercise and vegan cuisine. It gives me the perspective and motivation I need to be at my best for a power-packed year.”
Photo: Results Thru Strategy

Nicole Abraham, VP of marketing, Luna Grill

“It is our mission to inspire others to feel good by eating. We genuinely care about our food, where it comes from and how we serve it. In 2016, we will continue to offer many non-GMO items, such as our oils, beef and lamb. We are committed to using antibiotic-free, all-natural, free-range beef and lamb. And we will continue to support locally harvested produce and local businesses wherever possible. Every day we are working to serve our guests organic, pure, real food, and we will continue to do so in 2016.”
Photo: Luna Grill

Rod Silva, founder, Muscle Maker Grill

“Spending more time with my family and exercising outdoors with them through hiking, playing basketball and soccer! I am striving for a more stress-free, family-oriented life starting in 2016!”
Photo: Muscle Maker Grill

Sarah Grover, chief brand and strategy officer, Barfresh

“Our CEO, Riccardo Delle Coste, is committed to offering our customers the best possible blended beverages with the operational ease they are known for. To make 2016 our best year yet, Barfresh is currently consulting with Healthy Dining’s team of registered dietitian nutrition experts to evaluate the full product line for optimal nutrition. We are actively working to minimize added sugars and maximize the amount of whole fruit per smoothie. Barfresh isn’t ‘healthifying’ at the expense of flavor, either — we are planning to build an even better flavor profile by incorporating more fresh, healthy ingredients.”
Photo: Barfresh

David Goronkin, CEO, MyFitFoods

“My Fit Foods offers our employees a 50-percent discount on all of our handcrafted meals. Each meal is full of flavor and also meets our (and Healthy Dining’s!) criteria on calories, fat and sodium. In addition, we have a holistic approach to health and talk to our guests about nutrition, hydration and exercise. We do the same with our employees, so next year we are providing many of our employees with a FitBit to encourage activity and installing refillable water coolers in each location for easy access to water throughout the day. January is a great time to establish healthy habits for the year. This is why every January, many of our Support Center employees and their families, including my wife Joleen and me, sign up for a three-week My Fit Foods meal plan to lose a little weight, boost metabolism and restore natural energy levels. Our meal plans include three My Fit Foods handcrafted meals plus two snacks, so it is easy and convenient to eat healthy without any sacrifice. It’s fun to support one another as we all strive to be a little healthier.”
Photo: MyFitFoods

(H/T nrn.com)

SVN Releases Andersonville Market Report

Apr 15, 2016

Inside Chicago’s Monteverde Restaurant

Apr 14, 2016

Sarah Grueneberg is one of several chefs who rose through the ranks to become executive chef of Chicago’s landmark restaurant, Spiaggia. Under her reign, Spiaggia was awarded a Michelin Star for three consecutive years. Grueneberg is now the chef/partner of a new Chicago restaurant, Monteverde, which will no doubt rack up its share of accolades. Her upscale Italian cuisine reflects influences from her world travels, and the result is cooking that is both traditional and modern. The managing partner of Monteverde is Meg Sahs. Here’s a look at this impressive new restaurant.

Yes, chef!

Chef Sarah Greuneberg is a master of handcrafted pastas, which are made twice daily.

Rustic

Karen Herold of Studio K is the mastermind behind Monteverde’s warm, inviting environment. This is one of two dining areas.

Cozy

Here’s a look at the second dining area, which, like the first, captures the décor and atmosphere of an Italian home.

Belly up!

The bar room is a bit more casual, but maintains the color scheme of rich creams and natural wood.

Ring-side seat

Customers can choose to sit at a kitchen counter bar or chef’s tables to watch the cooks at work.

Bartender!

Here’s a closer look at the bar.

Hand-held

Monteverde’s menu offers a snacks (stuzzichini) section. A favorite is the ‘Nduja Arancini (rice fritters with tomato and olive oil-poached tuna).

Speared fish

Another snack favorite is this Octopus Spiedini.

I’ll have two

Who wouldn’t want to snack on this Prosciutto Butter Toast?

Sarah’s ideas

Grueneberg is a terrific pasta maker and has included two sections of pasta: pasta antipica (“our pasta”) and pasta tipica (“Italy’s pasta”). The antipica section allows the chef to introduce some world influences into her pasta making. Pictured here is Cannelloni Saltimbocca.

Italian wok?

Another of Grueneberg’s playful pastas is this wok-fried Arrabbiata Pasta, reflecting her travels to Asia.

Stuffed pasta

A more traditional pasta offering is this Tortelloni di Zucca (winter squash-filled pasta with brown butter, apples and Parmesan fonduta).

Rich and creamy

Another delightful pasta choice is this duck egg corzetti pasta.

Try more than one

Monteverde also features a small plates (piattini) section. A standout is the Stuffed Cabbage with porcini Bolognese, crispy polenta and a fried duck egg.

Good soup

Another highlight of the small plates section is this Cappelletti in Brodo with 48-hour poultry broth.

Big appetite

The “for the table” (per la tavola) portion of the menu features this hearty Ragu Alla Napoletana. It features fusilli, cacciatore sausage, soppressata meatballs and a Berkshire pork shank.

Bourbon cocktail

For a before-dinner drink, a during-dinner drink or after-dinner drink, how about this Saba Bourbon Soda? Robert Mosher created Monteverde’s beverage program.

Italian mule

For something lighter to drink, consider the Monte Mule.

(H/T restaurant-hospitality.com)

Veggie Grill Is Poised To Push Into Middle America

Apr 12, 2016

(via rnr.com) – Now 10 years old and with 29 restaurants, the Veggie Grill chain is rethinking its approach to growth.

Launched in 2006, Veggie Grill was one of the first concepts with an all-plant-based menu to make a run to become a national chain. The concept has earned the backing of private-equity firm Brentwood Associates and grown into three states: California, Washington and Oregon.

Now, as Veggie Grill contemplates moves away from the West Coast, the company is focusing on both developing urban locations and nontraditional licensed units on college campuses, healthcare facilities or airports.

A new sized-down prototype is in the works, and the chain is preparing for another investment round to plot out expansion to about 10 targeted markets, including major cities like Dallas, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Miami and the District of Columbia.

Can you give an update of where Veggie Grill is now?

I joined in 2011 and we raised some money. But at the end of 2012, we raised over $20 million for growth. Our comp store sales were up 15 percent that year. It was pretty much a rocket ride.

Then, as we went into 2013, we started sliding back into negative comps for a couple of reasons. There was menu fatigue. Also there was a big focus on our nutritional calorie count.

So in 2013 our sales dropped off and we had to rethink the menu. We did a lot of consumer research to find out what people really wanted out of Veggie Grill, and what they really wanted for their better-for-you diet.

I decided we needed to have different offerings on our menu that would be more whole foods and fresh veggies and things like that. So we introduced our bowl program in fall of 2013, and into winter of 2014. We also did things like included fries with our sandwiches. We started going after social [media] and the whole world of female promotion.

We hired the Culinary Edge out of San Francisco to work on the menu, and they developed things like our quinoa burger, which morphed into the Bad Boy Burger, which is a very spicy burger with Sriracha and jalepenos and this new cheese we import from Greece.

The addition of crispy cauliflower was a big win. Brussels sprouts have been hot. Kale is kind of played out. When I see something on Chick-fil-A’s menu, then I know I should probably move on.

So 2014 was a building year. We got customers back in to try new food. We bought that trial. But we didn’t discount to drive sales. We promoted to drive trial.

In 2015, we set the covenant with our guests as to what they wanted and what we were providing, and it really took off.

How did that impact same-store sales?

The good news was, in 2014 and 2015, we had low-single digit positive comp store sales. And for the first quarter of 2016, so far this year, we’re in high single-digit comp store sales.

Where are you with growth?

We are working on real estate, looking at both our urban and suburban locations. And we’ve decided that suburban locations are not for Veggie Grill. The investment is high, especially in Southern California, and the return doesn’t match the investment required for the rent.

We’ve seen bigger success in dense urban, but also urban with a strong entertainment and retail component, like Santana Row in Northern California, or University Town Center in San Diego or University Village in Seattle.

Your 29 units are all in California, Washington and Oregon. Are you looking to move away from the West Coast?

During the course of 2016, we cut back on almost all development. We built three stores. We wanted to slow down and rethink the how and where we want to go. We’ve seen some of our competitors go into markets and then close a number of stores.

Now we’re raising more money on an inside round with current investors and going toward a next stage of growth. We’re looking to leave the West Coast. I don’t really like the operating characteristics of California, with the minimum-wage pressure and on and on. The regulatory environment is challenging.

I’m not saying we won’t do more California stores, because we will. But we’re saying we will be very careful.

Do you see acceptance of plant-based dining in middle America?

Many people ask me if there are enough vegetarians to go to Veggie Grill. But 70 percent to 80 percent of any of our restaurants’ business is not vegetarian. We don’t expect you to come to Veggie Grill all the time. You’ll go have your fish sandwiches or burgers, but you’ll come to Veggie Grill on your rotation. We get people who just want to eat in the better-for-you space. This is a theme in America, now, I think.

They say, “make it better for me, but I don’t want to give up anything — except preservatives, and salt and trans fats. And don’t throw any pink slime in my food please.” In our research, preservatives are a big deal.

We come to that with a unique offering. Not a lot of chains can say we just do veggies, fruits, grains and nuts. We are very innovative by using just the plant kingdom.

We call these people who are putting veggies at the center of the plates and celebrate this kind of eating as “veggie positive.” Research we’ve done shows there are millions and millions of veggie positive adults in the U.S.

And we know where they live. They’re in Ashville, N.C., Austin, Texas, and Madison, Wis., yes, but also in the big cities. We’re going to find out where the best place is to put this in front of them.

If you told me five years ago we’d have a restaurant doing $2.7 million serving vegan food, I would have laughed.

That’s an AUV?

That’s for one of our stores, but that’s a number. We’re the largest, most successful vegetarian restaurant chain in the U.S.

Contact Lisa Jennings at lisa.jennings@penton.com

Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout

(H/T nrn.com)