EARLY
EATS
Breakfast and brunch
operators are upping
their game
DEMAND
DRIVEN
Taking control of the
digital-ordering experience
CANADIAN PUBLICATION MAIL PRODUCT SALES AGREEMENT #40063470
COOL
OPERATORS
Ice machines take centre
stage in restaurants
MARCH 2020 $4
Sunset Grill draws
on the past to build
future success
CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
Find your
Italian Inspiration
Growing up in Torino, I was spoiled with authentic Italian cuisine. That’s why I insist on using
Italy’s number one cheese brand, Galbani, for my creations at Johnny Rocco’s Italian Grill. My
famous Margherita pizza, topped with slices of delicate and creamy Galbani Professionale
Mozzarella Fresca, is every bit as flavourful and authentic as the pizza you’ll find in Italy.
- Daniele Uccheddu, Chef and Pizzaiolo, Johnny Rocco’s Italian Grill
Find more Italian Inspirations at parmalat-foodservice.ca
Trademark owned or used under license by Lactalis Canada, Toronto, Ontario M9C 5J1
VOLUME 53, NO.3 | MARCH 2020
CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES: EXAMINING INDUSTRY DISRUPTION
IN THIS ISSUE
CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES
12
30 STAND AND DELIVER Restaurateurs
are grappling with the increased
demand for third-party delivery
32 GAINING GROUND Customer
experience and convenience
are driving the popularity of
food-retail offerings
14
34 WASTE LAND The restaurant
industry is putting its best foot
forward to address food waste
FEATURES
36 LABOUR RELATIONS To attract
and retain talent in today’s market,
employers need to stand out from
the crowd
48
DANIEL ALEXANDER [COVER: STELIOS LAZOS, COO OF SUNSET GRILL RESTAURANT LTD.]
9 TOP CHOICE Shining the spotlight
on the inaugural winner of F&H’s
Employer of Choice Award
12 HOT CONCEPTS Fishbone brings
a taste of Portugal to GTA diners
14 MORNING GLORY Changing
demographics are causing a
breakfast-and-brunch evolution
27 TRIED AND TRUE Sunset Grill
continues to find success by
sticking with what works
45
38 SAFETY FIRST Food-safety remains
a top priority for foodservice operators
41 CHILL FACTOR New technology is
making ice machines the stars of
the show
45 ORDER AHEAD Restaurant operators
are taking control of the digital-
ordering experience
47 BREWING COMPETITION Big beer
brands still dominate the market,
but craft breweries are closing the gap
DEPARTMENTS
2 FROM THE EDITOR
5 FYI
11 FROM THE DESK OF NPD GROUP
48 CHEF’S CORNER Greg Laird,
The Tempered Room, Toronto
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 1
FROM THE EDITOR
JACK BE
NIMBLE,
JACK BE
QUICK
In today’s marketplace, where change happens on a dime,
resiliency and innovation are proving paramount to success.
Certainly, the foodservice-and-hospitality industry is no
stranger to challenges. Looking back on the past 50 years,
one can see how the industry has been forced to evolve, due
primarily to a number of challenges it’s had foisted on it. During
that time, the industry has had to deal with labour shortages
(minium-wage increases), no-smoking legislation as well as
ingredient-labelling legislation.
But as serious as those challenges were, they seem to pale
in comparison to those that have hit the industry in the past
decade. Perhaps they appear more serious because the rate of
change is so much quicker, which means operators are barely
able to deal with one challenge when yet another one hits them.
What’s an operator to do? And, how can they find success
in such a fluid marketplace where the rules change every day?
The good news is that where there are challenges, there are also
opportunities for growth (see story on p. 30) — partly because
challenges have a way of forcing us to look at creative solutions.
In talking to several operators recently, it’s clear many issues
keep them awake at night — whether it’s the continuous labour
shortages, the impact of changing demographics
and the disruption it’s fuelling or the
significant changes technology is creating for
customers and businesses alike.
At the end of the day, these challenges are
forcing operators to get more creative and
resilient — whether they want to or not —
because the reality is, if you don’t change,
and do it quickly, your company becomes
irrelevant. As one Top-100 president told me
recently, with the velocity of change so much
more pronounced these days, operators are
being forced to become more agile and adaptable.
That spells good news for customers, who
have more choices available to them than ever
before. But from an operator point of view, as
important as it is to be nimble and adaptable,
any planned change has to make sense from a business point of
view. After all, not every trend makes sense for every business.
As Vince Sgabellone, foodservice industry analyst, The NPD
Group, says in this month’s retail challenge story (see p. 32),
restaurant operators walk a fine line between sticking with
what they know and evolving to keep up with the competition.
“Focusing on your core customer is key — who they are and
why they’re coming to you. Stand out in the market, do what is
best for you and your customers. If you’re not speaking to your
customers, somebody else will.”
ROSANNA CAIRA rcaira@kostuchmedia.com
@foodservicemag
facebook.com/foodservicehospitalitymagazine
instagram.com/rosannacaira
NICK WONG, LOCATION PROVIDED BY VIA CIBO
2 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
EST. 1968 | VOLUME 53, NO. 3 | MARCH 2020
EDITOR & PUBLISHER ROSANNA CAIRA
ART DIRECTOR MARGARET MOORE
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PROFILE HOSPITALITY GROUP SCOTT BELLHOUSE
SOTOS LLP ALLAN DICK
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS JUDSON SIMPSON
THE MCEWAN GROUP MARK MCEWAN
UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH, SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY
& TOURISM MANAGEMENT BRUCE MCADAMS
WELBILT MARY CHIAROT
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MONTHLY NEWS AND UPDATES FOR THE FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY
SIAL CANADA [PHOTOGRAPHY AND ADVERTISEMENT]
BIENVENUE
AUX GOURMETS
SIAL Canada returns to Montreal
The only event of its scale in
Canada, SIAL’s 2020 event
in Montreal will bring
together more than 1,200
national and international
exhibitors from 50 countries and
host more than 18,500 buyers from
Canada, the U.S. and 60 other countries.
The event runs from April 15
to 17, 2020 at the Palais des congrès.
The SIAL Montreal subsidiary
of the global SIAL brand, launched
in 2001, was the brainchild of three
event shareholders — the ADAQ, the
Agri-Food Export Group Quebec-
Canada and Comexposium — and
offers a complete range of food
categories, including foodservice,
retail, catering and food processing.
SIAL also shines the spotlight regional
specialties from around the world.
In 2009, SIAL Montreal rebranded to
SIAL Canada to reinforce its national
and international position.
During the three-day tradeshow,
SIAL boasts more than 50 activities
and events centred around market
SIAL
CANADA
FAST|FACTS |
240,000
SQ. FT.
OF EXHIBITOR
SPACE
25,000
PROFESSIONAL
VISITORS
1,200+
EXHIBITORS
50
EXHIBITING
COUNTRIES
trends and the latest innovations.
Conferences and panel discussions are
held by industry experts to provide
business inspiration.
Events include The SIAL
Innovation competition, an international
competition that rewards the
best innovations in food and nonfood
related products.
“The landscape of our industry has
changed considerably,” says Xavier
Poncin, executive director of SIAL
Canada. “Whether you’re looking at
market concentration, the arrival of
new players, changes in consumption
habits with increasing focus on digitization
and personalization, or even
developments in international trade,
for manufacturers, it’s no mean feat
finding the right solutions. With our
buyer programs, series of conferences,
product lines organized by type, central
experts’ hub and special events,
SIAL Canada is the ideal platform to
help you understand and meet the
challenges of tomorrow.”
In 2010, SIAL Canada started alternating between an edition
in Montreal and one in Toronto, Canada’s economic capital.
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 5
COMING
EVENTS
BEYOND
BE GONE
MARCH 1-3 RC Show 2020, Enercare Centre,
Toronto. Tel: 800-387-5649; email: theshow@
restaurantscanada.org; website: rcshow.com
APRIL 1-2 16th Annual North American
Summit on Food Safety, Old Mill, Toronto. Tel:
416-236-2641; website: foodsafetycanada.com
APRIL 21 Vision 20/20 Conference hosted by
KML, Sheraton Centre Toronto. Tel: 416-447-
0888, ext. 235; email: dpricoiu@kostuchmedia.
com; website: kostuchmedia.com
April 4-5 Franchise Expo Vancouver,
Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver.
Tel: 800-891-4859, ext. 231; email: danielle@
nationalevent.com; franchiseshowinfo.com/
vancouver
FOR MORE EVENTS VISIT
foodserviceandhospitalitycom/events/
TIM HORTONS has officially dropped
all Beyond-Meat products from its
menu. The announcement was made
in late January — less than a year after
the products debuted on its menu. In
the summer of 2019, Tim Hortons
began rolling out a number of plantbased
menu options across its nearly
4,000 Canadian restaurants, including
the Beyond Meat sausage patty
and Beyond Meat burger patty. A few
months later, the company scaled
back availability of its plant-based
products, offering them exclusively in
its B.C. and Ontario locations. A Tim
Hortons spokesperson indicated the
company may circle back to Beyond
Meat and other plant-based products
in the future, adding “the product
was not embraced by our guests as we
thought it would be.”
COMPETITIVE EDGE
iSTOCK.COM/MAXIMFESENKO [BARTENDAR WITH WINE]
ALCOHOL NB LIQUOR
(ANBL) announced a
new rebate program
for New Brunswick bar
and restaurant licensees,
which will come
into effect April 1, 2020.
“We’re very pleased
to be able to offer this
milestone program
in response to the
hospitality industry’s
long-standing request
for more competitive
beverage-alcohol pricing,” says Patrick Parent, CEO, ANBL. “We value our partnership
with all licensees — they’re significant contributors to the province’s economy with more
than 25,000 related jobs — and we’re very supportive of efforts to help their industry
grow.” The rebate program is part of ANBL’s new three-year plan to become more competitive
with neighbouring jurisdictions. Once in effect, ANBL will offer a five- to 10-percent
rebate on licensees’ wine and spirit purchases and a one-per-cent rebate on certain
categories of beer products and ready-to-drink products. This program was developed
alongside Restaurants Canada and the New Brunswick Restaurant Association (RANB/
ARNB). Further program details will be shared with licensees at a later date.
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
RESTOBUZZ
A few months after the closure of Rose and Sons and Big Crow, Anthony Rose and his team have
opened The Grand Elvis on Dupont Street. The menu boasts large appetizers such as Griddled
Mac & Cheese ($15), ricotta dumplings ($16) and mains such as beef stew ($27), buttermilkfried
half chicken ($25) and the Banquet Burger ($21)... Toronto’s La Fenice has announced a shift
in ownership. Rita and Rocco Fosco have sold the restaurant to Toronto-based technology company,
IN BRIEF
Denny’s has added a Beyond Meat Burger
to its core menu across Canada and the U.S.
following a successful launch in the brand’s
Los Angeles restaurants. The Denny’s Beyond
Burger features a 100-per-cent plant-based
Beyond Burger patty topped with tomatoes,
onions, lettuce, pickles, American cheese and
All-American sauce on a multigrain bun...Edo
Japan, has announced it’s opening two new
street-front locations in Winnipeg...Mr Mikes
SteakhouseCasual has opened its new Portage
La Prairie restaurant, marking the company’s
45th national location...The Works Gourmet
Burger Bistro has announced four new limitedtime
menu items under its new “Burgertarians
Unite” promotion...Starbucks Canada opened
Givex, which has been a provider
of point-of-sale technology
for more than 20 years and has
been an investor in La Fenice for
the past two years...Gusto 501
opened its doors February 4. The
innovative Italian restaurant is
a collaboration between Gusto
54 executive chef Elio Zannoni
and Gusto Green chef Michael
Magliano. Gusto 501’s Trattoria
menu will integrate muchloved
favourites from Trattoria
Nervosa and Gusto 101, as well as fresh takes on contemporary Southern Italian fare...Bar Biltmore
and Osteria Rialto opened their doors in the Paradise Building in Toronto earlier this year. At the
helm of the bar is Robin Goodfellow, formerly of Little Bones Beverage Company and Bar Raval, who
will serve as bar director. Osteria Rialto is located on the first floor of the Paradise Building and
boasts a traditional Italian menu, featuring dishes such as Triangoli alla Norma, Tuscan sausages,
Bistecca alla Fiorentina and Semolina Polenta. The new restaurant will be helmed by executive
chef Basilio Pesce, chef de cuisine Ryan Baddeley and executive pastry chef Jill Barber.
Opening a new restaurant? Let us in on the buzz
Send a high-res image, menu and background information about the new
establishment to nlaws@kostuchmedia.com
Gusto 501
its first Canadian Pickup store February 4 in
Toronto’s Commerce Court. Designed for the
on-the-go customer, the new pickup location
is only the second of its kind in the world,
following the concept’s debut at New York City’s
Penn Plaza in November...Zaatar W Zeit — a
name synonymous with Lebanese street food
— is officially open in Canada. The first North-
American outpost is located at 531 Granville
St. in Vancouver. The brand boasts more than
70 locations in five countries throughout the
Middle East...McDonald’s Canada has partnered
with First Book Canada to donate 400 brand new
books in each province across Canada, 300 of
which are to be donated to local community
centres and 100 will be given away at McDonald’s
Family Night...Fuwa Fuwa, Toronto’s first
specialty soufflé pancake shop, has announced
nationwide expansion could be on the horizon.
The announcement comes after several new
franchise groups have signed on with the brand.
The company plans to expand across Canada
in 2020, with 10 new stores planned for Ontario
and Western Canada...Le Cathcart Restaurants
et Biergarten at Montreal’s Place Ville Marie
(PVM) opened January 23. The expansive
35,000-sq.-ft. food hall features a range of
culinary offerings, including three full-service
restaurants, nine food kiosks, two cafés with
a total of 1,000 seats and a biergarten located
under the PVM’s 7,000-sq.-ft. glass pavilion.
PEOPLE
Katia Marquier has joined the board of directors
of Sportscene Group Inc. Marquier is currently
the Chief Financial Officer of marine carrier
Fednav Ltd....Peter Van De Reep of Vancouver’s
Campagnolo won Best Sommelier of B.C.
competition, while Leagh Barkley of Toptable
Group placed third.
SUPPLY SIDE
Egg Farmers of Canada has been named one
of the country’s top youth employers. The
award recognizes employers who offer some of
the best workplaces and programs for young
people looking to start their careers...Subway
Restaurants has partnered with Adyen, a global
payments platform. The partnership makes
Adyen the exclusive payment platform for
Subway restaurants across North America...
Winston Industries’ board of directors has
selected Shaun Tanner as president and Chief
Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2020. Tanner,
an 18-year veteran of the company, currently
serves as its Chief Sales Officer, overseeing
two of Winston’s three divisions — Winston
Foodservice and Winston Manufacturing...
Vulcan, provider of commercial cooking
equipment, and parent company ITW Food
Equipment Group (ITW FEG), has named Chris
Stern as its vice-president and general manager
of Cooking, North America, effective February
10...Alto-Shaam has promoted Ryan Norman
to director of Consultant Services as part of
restructuring plans that focus the organization
on strengthening its relationships and support
for the consultant community.
8 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE
iSTOCK.COM/SARAWUTH702 [GOLD MEDAL], CHARU SHARMA [AWARD WINNERS]
TOP
CHOICE
F&H crowns
inaugural winner
of Employer
of Choice Award
BY DANIELLE SCHALK
As the first winner of the
Foodservice and Hospitality Employer
of Choice (FSHEOC) Award, Yummy
Catering Services Ltd. has built a company
culture based on communication, engagement,
trust and respect.
The Toronto-based company, which
focuses on nutritious, home-style recipes
for childcare centres and schools, is recognized
as a leading catering company for
children in the Greater Toronto Area.
On its mission to create employee
loyalty, Yummy Catering is focused on
conveying its values, goals and strategies,
while ensuring employees feel involved
and their opinions valued. To achieve this,
the company works to ensure all channels
of communication are open to employees
and management/department meetings
are used as a platform for team building,
brainstorming and communicating the
company’s values and goals.
Yummy Catering has positioned diversity
and inclusion as the cornerstone of its
culture and a fundamental component of
the company’s overall growth strategy. This
initiative is further supported by providing
career development and job accessibility
to new immigrants, as well as building and
maintaining an inclusive supply chain.
To build a culture of engagement, the
company’s leadership has cultivated a
sense of community, motivating employees
with positivity and encouragement. It also
leverages ongoing training to keep staff
motivated and productive and provides
opportunities for employees to test new
skills. This effort is furthered by offerings
such as rewards and recognition programs,
employee-referral programs, competitive
wages and flexible working arrangements.
And, recognizing there’s always room for
improvement, Yummy Catering is currently
working to expand its benefits to incorporate
initiatives such as pension plans, RRSP
contributions, paid personal days, dental
and eye-care coverage and mental-health
support. FH
The Foodservice and Hospitality Employer of Choice (FSHEOC) Award is the first national award to recognize Canadian
hospitality and foodservice organizations as employers of choice. This program provides recognition and valuable insights to help build better places to
work and strengthen corporate brands. By carefully analyzing an organization’s human-resources and leadership practices through a company profile and
by anonymously surveying employees, the FSHEOC program comprehensively evaluates markers, including compensation and benefits, morale, employee
engagement and more. The follow-up report and continuous-improvement action-plan worksheet help organizations build on best practices and address
challenges, reducing turnover, attracting top talent and helping them build better, people-focused cultures. To achieve this award, companies must attain
a minimum Employer of Choice score of 75 per cent.
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 9
THRILL
OF THE
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FROM THE DESK OF NPD
WHAT’S IN A (BRAND) NAME
Branded products continue to be attractive to restaurant guests
iSTOCK.COM/DILOK KLAISATAPORN [5-STAR RATING]
There’s no shortage of icons in the
foodservice industry. These include
Colonel Sanders, Ronald McDonald
and Canada’s own Tim Horton.
Each of these names elicits a
response from consumers — feelings of trust,
respect, quality and many other emotions and
behaviours — based on years of nurturing
and promotion.
Within this crowded restaurant universe,
packaged-goods brands struggle to make their
names heard. Restaurants — particularly
those with well-established brand identities
— don’t necessarily need or want the support
of outside brands to help them tell their food
stories and attract customers. But, according
to the latest Omnibus Study from The NPD
Group, this isn’t necessarily the case. In fact,
according to the survey, Canadian consumers
are interested in accessing their favourite
retail-food brands while dining out at their
favourite foodservice establishments.
Almost one quarter of all restaurant visitors
are influenced to purchase items that are
branded and offered as new or limited-time
offers. The most common reasons for purchasing
these branded items are perceptions
of higher quality and good value. This is
not at all surprising, since two of the fastestgrowing
influencers for choosing a restaurant
are food quality and price. Per-capita
restaurant visits are flat this year, which
means Canadians aren’t going out any more
frequently than in prior years. Consumers
are eager to maximize their value-for-money
on every restaurant visit and purchase and
ordering branded items off a menu helps
provide a degree of reassurance. Or, as one
quarter of survey respondents say, branded
items can be trusted. Men, in particular, are
even more likely to be influenced by branded
menu items.
Branded items aren’t new to the restaurant
landscape — beverage brands in particular,
such as soft drinks and alcohol, have always
been displayed proudly by their host restaurants.
And so, it’s not surprising respondents
feel branded cold beverages are a suitable
option when they dine out. Coffee is the only
menu category that respondents say is even
more suitable for a branding opportunity.
Hot tea, condiments and salad dressings and
cheese are the other menu categories where
consumers can be expected to respond well
to branded items.
Product branding can help build trust in
an item in the eyes of the consumer. This can
be especially true when a restaurant is selling
an item not necessarily associated with
its core offerings. A prime example of this
is evident in the proliferation of branded
plant-based protein items on Canadian
menus over the past 18 to 24 months. And
yet, survey respondents say they don’t expect
to see branded plant-based items on menus.
This could be a factor of the unfamiliarity
with the brands appearing in this space or
maybe that these items continue to appeal
to a niche audience. Clearly, the plant-based
brands have a lot of work to do to build
brand awareness and achieve widespread
acceptance. It also means restaurants introducing
these items may be just as successful
in promoting their own brands, rather than
these unfamiliar entities.
From quick-serve coffee shops to casualdining
restaurants, as much as half of all
respondents say they feel branded menu
items would be appropriate. The only restaurants
where branded items might be less
expected are high-end concepts, since consumers
will have a greater expectation that
their food items are prepared fresh. And yet,
it’s higher-income Canadians who show a
greater likelihood of ordering branded items
when dining out. While the study didn’t
delve into pricing for branded items, this
does suggest branding will bring the possibility
of premium pricing, along with the
perceptions of quality, trust and value. FH
Vince Sgabellone is
a foodservice
industry analyst with
The NPD Group. He can
be reached at vince.
sgabellone@npd.com
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 11
HOT CONCEPTS
FISHBONE
The Mediterranean seafood concept has set its sights on bigger ponds
STORY BY NICK LAWS
When Pedro Pereira emigrated from
Portugal at 18 years old, becoming a chef
and CEO wasn’t on his mind. In fact, it was
soccer that brought him to Canada.
Cooking was initially a means to supplement
his income after his coach told him
he needed to get a job, but he ultimately fell
in love with food. Fast forward a few years
and Pereira opened his first restaurant,
Fishbone, in Stouffville, Ont.
Humble beginnings characterize both
restaurant and owner, as the now-booming
restaurant started as “just another neighbourhood
restaurant” simply known as
“Pedro’s.”
Fishbone is carving out a name for itself
based on its high standards of hospitality.
“Fishbone is a product of my many years
in the business, working with some of the
best in the industry — day in and day out
— perfecting the craft of hospitality,” says
Pereira. “Like painting or music, everyone
can do it, but not necessarily well. It’s about
making a guest feel like they would be coming
into your own home; like they’ve know
you forever.”
Fishbone specializes in fresh seafood
with the menu focused on what the nearby
market has to offer.
“It’s nice to know a fish shipment from
New Zealand or Portugal was line caught
24 hours ago,” Pereira says. “You need to
stay connected to the source and heart of
the product.”
The catch of the day is displayed on ice,
cooked fresh and deboned tableside —
unique in Canadian dining.
“Deboning fish tableside for as long
as I did and being such a staple in
Portuguese cuisine, I found the name
Fishbone to be extremely fitting,” Pereira
explains,” I knew I was ready to jump
back into the upscale-dining scene with
my own restaurant, with my own philosophy,
standards and expectations.”
Those standards are high, with the
Fishbone restaurants focusing not just
on the product, but the guest experience.
“Our ability to create and foster relationships
with our guests is a big component.
The initial greeting, lighting, music choices
and volume, our verbiage, pulling the
chair out as they’re being seated… [it’s
all important]. We don’t just look at it as
a business transaction, it’s hospitality,”
Pereira says.
Nine years after the first restaurant
opened its doors in Stouffville, Fishbone
has five locations, two of them in the
Stouffville area, with other locations in
Aurora and Innisfil, Ont. One of the
Stouffville locations, Fishbone-On-The-
Lake, sits on the shores of Musselman’s
Lake and boasts a spectacular patio. The
restaurant is situated right on the water and
is open only during the summer, averaging
Quick Facts
ESTABLISHED: 2010 in Stouffville, Ont.,
AVERAGE LOCATION SIZE: 2,975 sq. ft.,
averaging 90 seats per restaurant
AVERAGE CHECK: $65
EXPANSION PLANS: The brand recently
opened in California and hopes to grow its
presence in the U.S. and southern Ontario
ARCHITECT: Den Bosch + Finchley, Toronto
PARENT COMPANY: Peartree Holdings
(clockwise from top) Pedro Pereira, owner of Fishbone;
grilled octopus; fresh fish features prominently on all
Fishbone locations’ menus; Fishbone restaurants boast a
light and airy feel; Fishbone Kitchen & Bar in Aurora, Ont.
12 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
Menu Sampler
The menu is built around Portuguese flavours,
while offering non-traditional items such as
steak, Cornish hen and pizza.
APPETIZERS
Guests can choose from staples of
Mediterranean cuisine, such as warm olives
($8), or venture off and try some of the
best-selling items such as deep-fried
brussels sprouts ($14), seared crab cakes
($18) and chicken croquettes ($12).
FRANK CUTRARA [FISHBONE PHTOTOGRAPHY]
more than 400 guests a day for lunch and
dinner services during peak season.
The restaurants’ design — the work of
Toronto-based Den Bosch + Finchley —
boasts a Portuguese motif, with elements
from back home blending with the design
elements of the restaurant’s location.
Pereira explains he tries to align the restaurant
with the scenery around it. “If it’s
closer to water, I add more nautical themes;
if more urban, then more intimate and dark
themes are at play.”
Portuguese and Mediterranean influence
is evident in all the locations, whether
it’s the general ambiance of the room, the
tiles, the furniture or something as simple
as a mural on the wall featuring Portuguese
terminology.
“This type of cuisine targets every demographic.
We’re fortunate to cater to anyone
and everyone from local residents, CEOs,
professional athletes such as NHL player
Steven Stamkos, to Hollywood, music or
modelling icons such as Cindy Crawford,”
Pereira says.
While the menu includes Portuguese
staples, such as Arroz a Valenciana and fresh
seafood, Pereira says he doesn’t want to
offer only traditional flavours.
“Our menu is not traditional Portuguese,
but we add that identity wherever and
whenever possible. I love promoting my
country,” Pereira says. “And just like back
home, we emphasize the freshness of the
product and then play with the five elements
crucial to our food — acid, salt,
spice, sweetness and texture.”
Those five pillars are evident throughout
Fishbone’s menu. From its starters to
its entrées, each menu item boasts its own
unique flavouring. Fishbone also features
vast and flavourful wine cellars, with most
of the selections being Portuguese.
Despite not having formal culinary
training, Pereira created the Fishbone menu
and serves as executive chef for all his restaurants.
His goal is to lay the foundation for
more locations and says his restaurant concept
could be at the forefront of the next
big trend.
“Portuguese cuisine is ready to be the
next big trend; it just needs to be pushed
through to the masses, especially in the
U.S.,” Pereira says.
The future looks bright for Fishbone
as it continues to expand its presence. In
fact, the concept opened its fifth and newest
location in Laguna Beach, Calif. last
September.
“We wanted more consistency in
our customer traffic and weather has a
significant impact. California is the fifthlargest
economy in the world and has a
beautiful coastline, so it was a perfect fit,”
explains Pereira.
As the brand grows, Pereira plans to stick
with the same fervent attitude towards food
and hospitality he’s had since day one.
“People can get food anywhere, but
they’ll continue to choose places that offer
them something more, an experience of
sorts, like a great book, a great movie and a
great concert. As they approach the restaurant,
the stage curtain opens and it’s your
show to perform,” Pereira said. FH
PIZZAS
If ordering off the lunch menu, guests can
enjoy one of three pizzas: the classic
Margherita, made with tomato, basil and
fresh mozzarella ($16); the Veggie, topped
with mushrooms, piquillo and arugula ($19);
and the Picante made with red onion,
Anaheim chilies, oregano and hot
soppressata ($21).
ENTRÉES
The mains menu has tastes of Portugal
throughout without offering many traditional
dishes. Guests can chose from signature
seafood dishes, such as shrimp and crab linguine
($26), seared Itsumo tuna ($29), grilled
Moroccan octopus ($27) and Arroz a Valenciana
($29). Fishbone also offers its specialty, freshfrom-market
fish at select locations, as well
as a half Cornish hen ($23) and an eight-oz.
chuck flat-iron steak ($29).
Prices vary by location
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 13
FOOD FILE
Breakfast-and-brunch trends are shifting
to meet the demands of a changing demographic
STORY BY JANINE KENNEDY
Anticipating the needs of an increasingly diverse population isn’t easy, but that’s
exactly what breakfast and brunch operators need to focus on. Today’s diner wants high-tech
user-friendliness with a homestyle feel; quick-service, on-the-go meals with local, ethically
sourced ingredients; and satisfying health-forward menu items.
Operators also need to be aware of generational shifts and the associated diner preferences.
Packaging, ingredient sourcing and menu diversity have become paramount business
and marketing decisions. Where once breakfast-and-brunch items consisted of pancakes,
maple syrup and “two-eggs-any-style,” diet, lifestyle and increasingly adventurous appetites
now demand consideration.
“Gone are the days of mass production as we move to an era of mass personalization,” says
Toronto-based Nourish Food Marketing’s 2020 Nourish Network Trend Report. Well-known
brunch restaurant Lady Marmalade, with locations in Victoria, B.C. and Toronto, built a
thriving business on this once-niche segment in 2005 by making personalization a part of
its business model.
Lamb Weston’s
hash browns
served with
crispy bacon (left),
eggs benedict from
Lady Marmalade
(opposite)
14 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
FOOD FILE
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FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 15
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FOOD FILE
Traditional bacon
and eggs remain a
breakfast favourite
“While a large proportion of our guests
still consume breakfast in the morning,
the all-day breakfast offering has had
a positive impact on McDonald’s”
— CATHERINE CROZIER, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
AT McCAFÉ AND McDONALD’S CANADA
Focusing solely on brunch made with locally sourced ingredients,
Lady Marmalade’s menu is extensive and varied, with a fully customizable
eggs-benedict feature. Starting at $12.50, its Build-Your-Own-
Benedict option includes an array of ingredients (including cured
salmon, $5; mango salsa, $2; and queso fresco, $2.75) combined with
Hollandaise sauce and served with home fries and salad.
Lady Marmalade also forgoes alcoholic beverages. While many still
consider brunch and cocktails — such as mimosas and Caesars — to
go hand in hand, others, such as Nourish Marketing president Jo-Ann
McArthur, beg to differ.
“We know there’s a new generation of drinkers who
are rethinking alcohol,” she explains. “That doesn’t
mean they don’t want ‘drinks with benefits’ or aren’t
willing to pay for them.”
In fact, alcohol-free cocktails enhanced with nootropics
— cognitive enhancers — such as caffeine or
adaptogens (plant-based de-stressors such as turmeric)
are becoming increasingly popular with today’s younger
diners and Nourish’s 2020 report also shows “fun
drinks,” such as soda, are making a comeback.
In downtown Toronto, The Depanneur has been
running pop-up-style food events for the past nine
years — including its Newcomer Kitchen, which
brought newly arrived Syrian-refugee families into the
kitchen to share their culture, food and earn an income
— as a non-profit social enterprise.
“Brunch [at The Depanneur] is a little atypical in
that we’re not licensed,” says founder and owner Len
Senater. “It’s not a luxury experience and we’re not
catering to the hungover crowd with heaping, greasy
plates of food. Our brunch is more locally focused.”
True to its pop-up image, The Depanneur’s brunches are run by
different chefs-in-residence each year. For 2020, diners are invited to
experience the Filipino flavours of Mama Linda’s chef Maria Polotan.
Featuring traditional dishes such as silog (garlic-fried rice with sunnyside-up
egg and green-papaya pickle, $8) and tocino (Filipino-style
bacon, $5), as well as Filipino hot drinks salabat (ginger tea with
honey and lemon, $3) and tsokolate eh (Filipino hot chocolate, $5),
these are the brunch dishes modern Canadian diners crave — hearty
and comforting, but with vibrant, global flavours, that offer a new
food experience.
“[Polotan] is a phenomenal cook,” Senater says. “I spent many years
wondering why I couldn’t find great Filipino food. Everything I knew
about the area — the location, the cultural influences — indicated to
me that the food should be fantastic, but every time I encountered it, I
was disappointed. Then I noticed a few different places that are doing
something special.”
“Mama Linda’s was at the Withrow Park Farmers Market when I
asked [Polotan] to take on the brunch for 2020,” he continues. “She
was a tenant of our rental commissary. >>> STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
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FOOD FILE
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I had invited her to host some one-off events and her food really blew
me away.”
While Canada’s changing breakfast-and-brunch climate may reveal
alcohol-weary diners looking for exciting new food experiences, QSR
breakfast-offerings remain popular as breakfast continues to be one
of the few growth areas in the segment, according to research by
Toronto-based NPD Group.
At McDonald’s Canada, breakfast has been on the menu for more
than 40 years. Catherine Crozier, senior director of Marketing at
McCafé and McDonald’s Canada, says the key to its breakfast success
over the years has been allowing the breakfast menu to evolve; adding
small but impactful changes over the years while maintaining the
older favourites.
Since the launch of its McGriddle breakfast sandwiches in 2003, the
past two decades have seen, perhaps, the most significant changes to
McDonald’s breakfast menus. In 2011, it launched its McCafé brand,
successfully introducing a full range of specialty coffee drinks. In
2015, the company announced it would use only cage-free eggs in its
breakfast-menu items and then, in 2017, breakfast-menu items were
made available throughout the day.
“While a large proportion of our guests still consume breakfast in
the morning, the all-day-breakfast offering has had a positive impact
on McDonald’s,” Crozier says. “Our classic Egg McMuffin sandwiches
continue to be our most preferred item on our breakfast menu, with
breakfast-bagel sandwiches also generating strong [sales]. While
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FRANCIS FONTAINE [CHEZ MUFFY]
breakfast is typically associated with savoury,
the gap to fill at McDonald’s is its sweet menu
offerings. For example, the expansion of our
bakery menu with new McCafé L’il Donuts
has seen early success, tapping into previously
unmet demand in this space.”
“Our own consumer research also reinforces
the importance of loyalty programs for coffee
and breakfast among our guests,” she adds.
“McCafé Rewards is one of the top programs
in Canada, [whereby] our guests can earn and
redeem in-restaurant, at drive-thru and even
when ordering ahead on the My McD’s app.
McDonald’s is currently testing two new
limited-time menu items in Alberta, Northwest
Territories and Lloydminster, Sask. The Chicken McMuffin and
Chicken McGriddle both feature peppery, seasoned Canadian chicken,
while the McGriddle takes on the classic flavour profile of chicken
and waffles. McCafé L’il Donuts, recently tested in B.C. and Atlantic
Canada, are available in five flavours and boast 180 calories or less.
“Both are something our guests have been asking for and the tests
in market are going well,” Crozier says.
In Quebec City, Chez Muffy, located in the award-winning Auberge
Saint-Antoine Hotel, is a family-friendly, farm-to-fork restaurant in
a historic warehouse, which dates back to 1822. While the ambiance
Chez Muffy in Quebec City’s
Auberge Saint-Antoine Hotel
Bunn_FoodserviceHospitality_Spring2020.pdf 1 2020-02-13 9:19 AM
is classic Québécois comfort — original wooden beams and a warm,
inviting atmosphere featuring views of the St. Lawrence River — the
menu highlights the best available local products.
Boasting its own organic vegetable garden on Île d’Orléans, located
20 kms from the restaurant, chef Romaine Devanneaux works closely
with garden manager Alexandre Faille to plan for seasonal-vegetable
use year-round — even during Quebec’s harsher winter months.
While the growing season runs from April to December,
Devanneaux and Faille work to ensure the food grown can be used
throughout the year through methods of fermentation and preserva-
TM
FOOD FILE
(at left) Lamb
Weston’s hash
brown with
avocado, the
brioche bagel
breakfast sandwich
tion, among others. “We work with techniques like lacto-fermentation
so we can preserve many of the vegetables from our garden,”
Devanneaux explains.
Chez Muffy’s offers a full-service menu and valet parking for all
hotel and restaurant guests — a rarity in Old Quebec — and its
Sunday brunch buffet, with its unusual array of foods, has become
popular with local and visiting diners.
“It’s not a typical brunch; our menu is not just [centred on] eggs,”
general manager Guy Lombard says. “Ours is an epic buffet. We prepare
the food fresh and our offerings include homemade pastries and
tarts, vegetables from the garden, duck confit, maple-glazed ham and
salmon with béchamel. We plan to continue working with the vegetables
from the garden.”
At $50 per adult ($20 per child), the expansive buffet also features
an eggs-benedict station with the choice of toppings, local cheeses and
other Québécois specialties such as cretons. Buffet food quality can be
difficult to maintain, but Chez Muffy has it down to a science.
“[We’re offering] a high-end brunch buffet,” says Lombard.
“Everything has to look brand new at all times. Heat source is
very important. Using traditional chaffing dishes often means
you cannot regulate the temperature, so we’ve invested in induction
chaffing dishes for consistent heat distribution. [Overall], we achieve
a cozy ambiance. We want our guests to have a relaxed and enjoyable
dining experience.” FH
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PROFILE
TRIED
AND
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Sticking with tradition is
driving Sunset Grill’s success
STORY BY NICK LAWS
DANIEL ALEXANDER [STELIOS LAZOS OF SUNSET GRILL RESTAURANT LTD.]
Stelios Lazos, COO
of Sunset Grill Restaurant
Ltd., says the chain
attributes its success
to sticking with
the classics
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 27
PROFILE
Sunset Grill recently
updated its design to
incorporate open kitchens
and warm, pine
interiors, (middle) the
chains original location
in Toronto’s Beaches
neighbourhood
hile we’re used to
hearing that breakfast
is the most
important meal of
the day, data from
Toronto-based NDP Group proves
that regardless of category (QSR, FSR
or total commercial foodservice),
breakfast has been, and continues
to be, a strong growth driver — and
Sunset Grill is cashing in on the
exploding popularity of the daypart.
When it concerns breakfast,
Sunset Grill is setting the pace, doing
business the same way it did when
founder Angelo Christou launched
the concept in 1985. The first location
— named after the Don Henley song,
Sunset Grill — started as a one-shift
breakfast-and-lunch restaurant in the
Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto.
And although the concept has
evolved, the business philosophy —
and menu — have remained almost
the same.
“The menu hasn’t changed much
in 35 years,” says Stelios Lazos, COO
of Sunset Grill Restaurant Ltd., adding
“if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
And Sunset Grill’s business model
is far from broken — the company
has grown exponentially over the
past 10 years. In 2009, there were 30
franchised units across the country.
At the beginning of 2020, there were
200 — a growth rate of 666.7 per
cent over the course of the decade.
The chain is showing no signs
of slowing down, with another 15
locations in the pipeline for 2020.
How does it continue this torrid
pace? Lazos says it’s simple, “while
others try to keep up with trends, we
stick with the classics.”
“[This is what makes] us unique
from other [breakfast restaurants],”
he says. “We stick to a traditional
breakfast. Bacon and eggs go hand
in hand — they have for a hundred
years. You’ve got to stick to what
you know.”
Almost all of Sunset Grill’s
signature menu items fall under
the all-day-breakfast category, with
close to 90 per cent of its sales
being attributed to these items. The
brand is known for its home-style
breakfasts, such as three eggs with
bacon, home fries and toast ($9.75);
the Sunset Super with sausage, two
pancakes, three eggs and home fries
($11.75); and Eggs Sunset — three
eggs over easy with peameal-style
bacon on English muffins served
with Hollandaise sauce and home
fries ($13.25).
The brand also offers a few select
lunch offerings, such as the Sunset
Sandwich made with peameal-style
bacon, egg and cheddar cheese,
served with home fries and vegetables
with dip ($8.25); the Sunset Western
Sandwich with ham, onion and two
eggs ($7.75); and the Banquet Burger
— an eight-ounce patty with bacon
and cheddar cheese ($12.75).
Despite the trend towards veganism,
Sunset Grill offers only a few
vegan options — such as Southwest
Vegan Breakfast Hash ($9.99) —
choosing to focus on its traditional
dishes instead. “We don’t have a huge
demand for vegan food,” says Lazos.
“There’s only so much you can do
and it’s based on demand.”
RISE AND SHINE
NPD Group foodservice analyst
Vince Sgabellone says over the past
five years, the breakfast daypart has
grown by approximately five per cent
per year and operators such as Sunset
Grill are reaping the rewards.
“[Its] menu is the perfect fit —
breakfast is trendy and brunch is on
trend in full service,” says Sgabellone.
“Canadians also love their coffee,
and breakfast and coffee go perfectly
together. In Canada, when
we roll together all those morning
coffee occasions, our morning meal
— which is breakfast, brunch and
FRANCHISING
FACTS
INITIAL
FRANCHISE
FEE
$55,000
ADVERTISING
FEE
1%
ROYALTY
FEE
5%
iSTOCK.COM/JAAAKWORKS [FRANCHISE CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION]
28 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
UBER EATS
snacking lumped together — is the
biggest, most-popular daypart. It’s
in only two countries in the world
where that’s the case.”
Sunset Grill also differentiates itself
with its focus on fresh ingredients,
commitment to detail and excellent
customer service — all factors Lazos
says are instrumental in keeping the
company thriving.
“Everything we do is five-star
inspired — no preservatives in our
orange juice, our potatoes and fruit
salad are prepped daily. We have
an emphasis on high-quality fresh
products and commitment to detail,”
Lazos says. “There’s no singular thing
you do to be successful — it’s all
about the little things.”
That meticulous attention to
detail is reflected throughout every
facet of Sunset Grill’s operation.
From store location — the company
prefers to be near thoroughfares and
main roads in order to attract more
customers — to the design of its
restaurants, where function is just as
important as style.
“We’re a California-style 1970s
breakfast restaurant,” says Lazos.
“We like to incorporate pine to keep
things relaxing; we want it to be
warm. People who go to restaurants
want to be around people, there’s
a certain experience to it, but at
the same time, you want your own
space with a certain level of coziness.
We try to find the fine line between
the two.”
Most Sunset Grill locations are
located in the Greater Toronto
Area, with the majority found in
Mississauga, Brampton and Vaughan,
but expansion throughout Ontario
is on the books in the coming year.
The company also plans to reach as
far as Calgary and Los Angeles for its
upcoming ventures.
The units average 100 seats with
a footprint of approximately 2,200
sq. ft. — a large portion of which is
devoted to the brand new signature
Traditional breakfast fare such as bacon and eggs
are still big sellers on the Sunset Grill menu
AVERAGE
CHECK
$15
AVERAGE
RESTAURANT
SIZE
2,200
SQ. FT.
AVERAGE
NUMBER
OF SEATS
100
open-concept kitchens. The kitchens
are meant to give customers a
window into the behind-the-scenes
operations, but also to reduce frontof-house
labour by giving servers and
hosts a better idea of what’s going on
in the back of the house.
While the menu has remained
relatively unchanged throughout its
35-year history, the chain’s hours
of operation have evolved to meet
changing demands. When the first
restaurant originally opened, it was
open until the early evening and
did not serve all-day breakfast. But,
when late-afternoon sales didn’t
pack as big a punch as anticipated, it
began opening at 7 a.m. and closing
between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
While the future is bright for
Sunset Grill, no company succeeds
without overcoming some adversity
and, for the breakfast chain, Lazos
says adversity came in the form of
trying to get its fresh ingredients
to its restaurants. When the
company expanded nationwide,
its original supplier found it hard
to ensure ingredients reached all
of the new locations.
“We were with a smaller distributor
who couldn’t reach some of our
restaurants, but then it was bought
by Gordon Food Service, which
ended up simplifying operations for
us on the supply side,” explains Lazos.
All of Sunset Grill’s 200 locations
are franchised, which places the
commitment to quality in the hands
of its franchisees. Lazos says the
company takes pride in choosing
franchisees who work hard and feel
the same passion for quality that’s
inherent throughout the company.
“Just because you’re buying a
franchise doesn’t mean cheques
are going to start rolling in. It’s a
business — it’s your business —
and you have to make your money.
On Monday when the fridges are
empty, get in there and check it out,
smell it, touch it — only serve food
to your customers you would serve
to your kids.” FH
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 29
STAND
A N D
DELIVER
OPERATORS ARE GRAPPLING WITH THE DYNAMICS CREATED
BY DEMAND FOR THIRD-PARTY DELIVERY BY DANIELLE SCHALK
The Challenge |
Much has been written about the proliferation
of third-party restaurant delivery and
its impact — actual, perceived and potential
— on the foodservice industry. As a young,
evolving market segment, it poses a number
of challenges for operators. “It’s not necessarily
a mature market,” says Sylvain Charlebois,
professor, Food Distribution and Policy,
Faculties of Management and Agriculture at
Dalhousie University. “Technology is affecting
all sectors within foodservice. This is a disruptive
phenomenon and it’s going to be interesting
to see how things go.”
As operators attempt to navigate this
disruption, there are concerns about putting
elements of quality and guest experience into
the hands of couriers. In fact, “quality/service
control” was identified among the top-three
negative aspects of doing business with thirdparty
delivery services in Restaurants Canada’s
Q1 2019 Restaurant Outlook Survey.
However, Alan Bekerman, founder and
CEO of Toronto-based iQ Food Co., feels
customers understand the compromise they’re
making in order to benefit from the convenience
of delivery.
“We recognize there’s an element of trust
and, ultimately, risk [involved] when you have
somebody you don’t know delivering food
and representing your brand…[But,] customers
understand this courier is just doing their
job…they’re running around the city dropping
things off.”
On the other side of the delivery-courier
coin, the growing pains associated with the
gig economy as a whole are also impacting
third-party restaurant delivery.
As the couriers working under these
companies are classified as independent
contractors, they don’t fall under traditional
labour laws and aren’t ensured standards such
a minimum wage and health benefits. This
has resulted in app-based workers around
the world launching protests and pushing to
unionize.
“People are concerned about the rights
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CHALLENGES &
OPPORTUNITIES
of contract workers — or workers, depending
on how they’re defined in the law,” says
Charlebois. “[We’re] still at the beginning
of this movement and it will probably
impact how the model becomes, or remains,
competitive, because it will eventually have an
impact on cost.”
And, ultimately, the cost of taking part in
the third-party-delivery market is a chief challenge
facing restaurants.
“I’ve never met a restaurateur who’s
unhappy with the volume delivery represents,
but I’ve also never met a restaurateur who’s
happy with the economics,” says Bekerman.
“Servicing delivery orders that represent
lower-margin business, at peak times, out of
expensive real estate, isn’t a particularly
sustainable strategy.”
In an industry where margins are already
tight, paying a commission of 30 per cent or
more on delivery orders is a taxing endeavour.
But, many operators don’t feel they can afford
to ignore demand for delivery.
“The reality is, it’s not a story of delivery
companies gouging restaurants, the story is
that delivery is just expensive,” says Ray Reddy,
CEO and co-founder of the Toronto-based
mobile-ordering platform Ritual. “If you’re
going to pay [someone] to move something
from point-A to point-B in less than 20 minutes,
that’s going to cost you a lot of money
in North America, where people have a lot of
choices and minimum wage is not low.”
And, with the increasing popularity of
these services, the challenge of integrating
these third-party platforms into a restaurant’s
operations is only exacerbated. There are an
increasing number of platforms available and
restaurants are feeling pressure to have a presence
on multiple platforms to maximize their
reach. But this also means added channels
to maintain and update and, if a restaurant’s
POS system doesn’t support the integration
of these platforms, it can result in multiple
devices that need to be actively monitored.
Not to mention the majority of restaurants
weren’t designed to accommodate high
volumes of order-ahead meals, with limited
counter space for completed orders and a
structure that often forces couriers to cut
through lines to reach the order-pickup area.
The Opportunity |
There’s no doubt delivery is a convenience
that resonates with customers. According to
Ipsos Foodservice Monitor, Canadians spent
$1 billion on meal-delivery apps in 2018, and
Charlebois says this number is now near $2
billion.
Restaurants Canada’s Foodservice Industry
Forecast 2018-2022 also indicated off-premise
sales increased at both quick-service and fullservice
restaurants in the first half of 2018,
driven by demand for delivery. During the
same period, on-premise visits declined at
QSRs, with off-premise orders accounting for
71 per cent of this segment’s traffic.
Having a presence on third-party platforms
can expand a restaurant’s visibility and customer
base. And, as Charlebois points out, can
even help mitigate the industry’s sensitivity to
weather conditions.
“You have the potential to connect with
somebody who otherwise would never have
entered your restaurant,” says Bekerman, noting
this requires a bit of a balancing act. “[It
requires] figuring out how to connect with
people who otherwise wouldn’t come to your
restaurants [without] cannibalizing yourself
by turning your loyal walk-in customers into
delivery-only customers.”
He points to in-restaurant incentives and
limiting the modifications available on delivery
orders as strategies put in place at iQ to
help ensure such a balance. “Limiting modifications
for delivery helps simplify order preparation
and reduces the potential for errors,
which are a lot easier to solve in restaurant,
versus somebody who’s waited 45 minutes for
their food to come to their doorstep.”
The nimble nature of digital platforms
also makes them an ideal avenue for menu
testing. “It’s a soft way to experiment,” says
Charlebois. “You can do promotions, for
example, much more [easily] with digital.”
Virtual- or “ghost-restaurant” concepts
are also being examined as a way to make the
most of the delivery boom. This deliveryonly
operating model allows restaurants to
maximize existing real-estate and labour costs
by delivering a secondary concept/menu on
delivery platforms. This also provides an
opportunity for low-risk experimentation and
a chance to capitalize on diverse segments.
Toronto-based Hero Certified Burgers
offers Hero Certified Seafood and Hero
Certified Chicken menus exclusively on thirdparty
platforms. And, while these brands were
originally run out of Hero Burger locations,
they’re now being made available to outside
operators across the country to operate as
virtual delivery-only concepts.
Some companies — such as U.S.-based
Cloud Kitchens and Toronto-based Ghost
Kitchens Canada — have even chosen to
go fully virtual, taking advantage of lessexpensive
real estate and operating multiple
concepts out of a single kitchen.
“Ghost kitchens are a very interesting
phenomena,” says Charlebois. “We have 50 or
60 now in Canada and it’s growing.”
And, Bekerman adds, “[these concepts]
have an opportunity to solve a part of
the problem.”
iQ and others have gone yet another route,
building small-footprint take-out focused
concepts with very limited or no seating.
There are also brands that have placed their
focus on removing pain points associated
with third-party delivery through in-restaurant
features such as pickup portals.
All the opportunities and solutions related
to third-party delivery are not yet clear — and
that in itself is a source of opportunity. Those
nimble businesses that can discover and successfully
implement optimal operating models
stand to reap the greatest rewards.
“We’re at an assessment stage,” Bekerman
says. “The dynamic and the relationship has
to change, but we’re [not] going to know
what that really looks like for another 12 or
18 months.” FH
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MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 31
GAINING
G R O U N D
THE EXPERIENCE FACTOR IS HELPING
GROCERANT CONCEPTS STEAL SHARE BY NICK LAWS
The Challenge |
A decade ago, a ‘grocerant’ — a hybrid grocery/restaurant
offering — was rare and the
concept of grocery delivery and meal kits was
almost unheard of. Today, the global meal-kit
market is estimated at approximately $2.2
billion, according to Time magazine, and grocerants
represent approximately four per cent
of total commercial foodservice dollars (six
per cent of total visits) according to Torontobased
NPD Group.
Billy Arvanitis is vice-president of
Operations at Foodtastic, but his industry
experience spans decades. He says at the
beginning of the food-retail uprising, there
was a common concern.
“Initially, when [grocery stores] introduced
our core products, there was a lot of fear,
wondering if the two would ever intersect or
if would we cannibalize our own market.”
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There are four pillars linked to the success
of both meal kits and grocerants: flexibility of
offerings, freshness of products, the experience
factor and convenience.
But Vince Sgabellone, foodservice analyst
at NPD Group, says one pillar trumps them
all. “Convenience. People who are buying food
through grocerants are time strapped, so it’s
all [about making it] quick and easy,” says
Sgabellone. “They’ve found a niche for themselves
between QSR and FSR — full-service
quality with quick-service convenience.”
This convenience applies not only to customers
grabbing a quick bite to eat in grocerants
while doing their weekly grocery shopping,
it also extends beyond the supermarket.
Meal kits provide the much-needed convenience,
with the added luxury of not having
to leave your house — a key factor helping
the segment steal share from restaurants, says
Sgabellone.
“One third of all meal-kit customers [we
surveyed] said they would have purchased
food from a restaurant that night had they
not had a meal kit,” says Sgabellone.
George Bachoumis is the general manager
of The McEwan Group — the largest
independent grocerant in Canada — and has
worked in the foodservice industry for more
than 30 years. He says while convenience
plays a role, the real driving force behind the
success of grocerants is their flexibility and
freshness.
“Our chefs will come down to the grocery
level, shop all the fresh ingredients they
need and then bring them to the [in-house]
restaurant and create these dishes,” says
Bachoumis. “There’s variety — within our
space we have Asian-inspired, Indian-inspired
and Mediterranean — whereas restaurants are
limited in what they can offer. Every customer
that comes into our store has a different need
and the added flexibility of being a hybrid
store allows us to meet most of those needs,
with chef-inspired foods.”
This freshness and quality of food is another
reason why Sgabellone thinks we saw a sudden
rise in grocerant traffic a few years ago.
“Grocery stores have been upping their
game in terms of quality, breadth and types of
offerings. It was no longer just convenient, it
was good. It was restaurant-quality food that
you could grab at the grocery store,” he says.
According to Jessica Rodrigues, director of
Communications at The McEwan Group, the
next logical step for grocerants is to expand
into the event sector.
“Instead of having a Christmas dinner at a
restaurant, you come to a hybrid like McEwan
and have that sit-down meal, but also get
cooking demos and a shopping night with
discounts,” says Rodrigues.
It’s these after-hours events that pose a real
challenge to restaurants, many of which lack
the space to host them. And, while most holiday
parties start at a restaurant and conclude
elsewhere, grocerants are able to accommodate
the entire event.
Ennio Perrone, vice-president of Marketing
and Business Strategy at Eataly, a European
grocerant concept that recently entered
Toronto, cites customer experience as a reason
for the brand’s success.
“Being able to create an experience where
guests can eat, shop and learn about authentic
Italian ingredients and regional Italian dishes
has been an important part of every Eataly
location since we opened our first location in
Torino 13 years ago,” says Perrone. “Moving
from a purely transactional food-retailer
model of products stacked on shelves to offering
the opportunity for customers to experience
more — to see the food they’re buying
being turned into delicious dishes in the
hands of experienced chefs, in a space where
they feel comfortable and can learn and do
new exciting things in every visit while having
fun — are fundamental pillars,” says Perrone.
The Opportunity |
While the challenges arising from food-retail
competition have caused some restaurateurs
to lose sleep, the sky is not falling just yet.
NPD Group reports growth of the meal-kit
and grocerant segments has slowed in the past
few years. “[The segments] were trending up
in 2016 to 2017, but the last two years it’s flat
lined a bit,” says Sgabellone.
This has created new opportunities for restaurants,
such as branded meal kits — a partnership
between meal-kit-delivery programs
and restaurants — or advanced restaurant
loyalty programs that reach beyond the
traditional coffee shop to larger chains.
Branding products seems to be the biggest
opportunity for restaurants looking to combat
the rise of retail, as Arvanitis puts it, “if you
can’t beat them, brand them.”
“Marketing dollars are stretched very thin,
so when I see branded product in stores readily
available, it creates a lot of brand awareness,”
says Arvanitis. “When it’s done responsibly,
it’s a good marriage.”
And, while a study conducted by NPD
Group and Nielsen showed 38 per cent of
surveyed Canadians had purchased some
type of meal kit for dinner in the past year,
attracted by the convenience of the offering,
delivery — the great equalizer — is now
giving restaurant operators a leg up on the
competition. Whether through a third-party
or in-house, delivery systems are the Achilles
heel of the meal-kit and grocerant segments,
says Sgabellone.
“What’s easier than a few taps on your
phone and ordering delivery to your door?
Delivery has taken away some of that convenience
aspect that was the calling card of
grocerants,” he explains.
“If you’re not on board with delivery services,
you’re missing the boat. That’s the way
we’re trending. Whether its mobile apps or
other players, it’s here to stay,” adds Arvanitis.
But, Sgabellone warns, restaurants walk
a fine line between sticking with what they
know and evolving to keep up with the competition.
“Focusing on your core customer is
key — who they are and why they’re coming
to you. Stand out in the market, do what’s
best for your customers. If you’re not speaking
to your customers, somebody else will.”
“A brand needs to embark on new trends
when it makes sense for their brand to do so.
Eataly shines in the store, where you get to
live the experience in its entirety. That’s the
entry point for people to get to know and
interact with our brand,” says Perrone.
“You have to keep evolving, because everyone
else around you is changing all the time,”
adds Bachoumis.
Looking forward, the market will continue
to evolve and, when it does, operators on both
sides of the coin need to be ready to collaborate
or be left by the wayside. FH
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MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 33
WASTE
LAND
FOOD-WASTE SOLUTIONS ARE NOT
A ONE-SIZE-FITS ALL PROPOSITION
BY DENISE DEVEAU
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The Challenge |
You’d be hard pressed to find any foodservice
operator who isn’t looking at their food-waste
practices — from delivery and prep processes
to serving sizes and disposal. Some are well
entrenched in tackling their food-waste issues,
while others are just starting to take a serious
look at what can be done. There are common
concerns every operator faces; however,
strategies can vary considerably. A vegan
restaurant or fast-food chain would have a
different perspective than a steakhouse or
institutional cafeteria.
Location can also factor into the decision.
Urban operations can easily tap into local
services, such as food banks and composting
programs, to support their efforts. Those in
more remote locations or smaller municipalities
may have to rely more heavily on inhouse
resources.
Budget limitations are another differentiator,
as solutions can range from basic
recycling programs and local donations to
advanced analytics and POS integration.
Tackling food waste isn’t a one-size-fits-all
proposition, says Chris Knight, consultant
at The Fifteen Group in Toronto. “Everyone
has a food-waste problem, from QSR to fast
casual to full service.”
The constant in the equation, however, is
food waste is not only an important social
and environmental concern, it’s also a drain
on the bottom line in a world where margins
are tighter than ever.
“Everything wasted is money out of our
pockets,” says James Rilett, vice-president,
Central Canada for Restaurants Canada
in Toronto.
A contributor to those shrinking margins
and renewed examination is the rising minimum
wage, he adds. “That’s when waste really
started [appearing] on their radar. There
might have been a time when profit margins
were high enough to absorb some costs,
so they didn’t get too microscopic on their
operations. Now they’re looking at everything
relating to costs.”
Key pain points that come up in Rilett’s
food-waste discussions with restaurants are
ordering and preparing the right amount
of meals. “Most waste comes from having
too much food that has to be thrown out.
Obviously that’s lost profits. But it’s a hard
line to walk between having too much and
running out too soon.”
Bruce McAdams, associate professor,
School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism
Management at the University of Guelph,
says when it comes to food waste, operators
are clearly willing to make changes. “Chefs
and kitchen managers are highly motivated
to minimize the amount of spoilage and
products going out of rotation and most do a
pretty good job of that.”
In his mind, one of the biggest generators
of food waste is serving overly large portion
sizes to convey value, particularly at mid-scale
and full-service restaurants. The other is disposal
at closing time. “We speak to many chefs
who end up throwing out unused product at
the end of the day when they could make better
use of it.”
An important challenge being overlooked
is organic waste going to landfill, McAdams
notes. “People talk about reusing and donating
food, which is great, but a lot of plate and
food waste is still going to landfill and not
being composted.”
A 2019 Second Harvest report, The
Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste notes food in
landfill produces methane, which is more than
25 times more potent than carbon dioxide in
terms of greenhouse-gas emissions.
“It has an incredible impact on our
carbon footprint,” McAdams says. “When
we do create food waste, we need to make
sure it never goes to landfill. We lost our way
a bit there.”
The Opportunity |
Sending waste food to landfill is a non-starter
at Fox Harb’r Resort in Wallace, N.S., says
Shane Robilliard, executive chef and director
of Food & Beverage. “We’re a medium-size
operation so there’s going to be food waste.
The biggest challenge for us is our remote
location, so there are only certain opportunities
available to deal with that.”
As such, all food waste is managed internally,
which is relatively easy given the resort
has acres of gardens and greenhouse facilities.
“We compost it all and turn it into fertilizer
for our golf course, gardens and greenhouse,”
he says. “All of it is done using natural processes.
The only challenge is when there’s a
bounty, we have to adapt and get creative.
In tomato season, we do a lot of canning
and freezing.”
Composting is a natural fit for a plantforward
operation such as Copper Branch.
“We do have a lot of scraps from prep, but
all that easily goes into composting,” says
Rio Infantino, president and CEO. Because it
operates in urban locations, the chain works
with composting services, since its restaurant
don’t have the space to manage their own.
The brand has also been able to get its
ordering processes down to a fine art. Core
items are ordered flash frozen so they can be
defrosted on demand.
“It ensures food stays intact, gives us better
control at the store level and minimizes
waste,” says Infantino. Fruits and vegetables
are ordered four times a week to help mitigate
potential food loss.
The key for any restaurant seeking the right
food-waste solutions is having the right tools
in hand. These can range from basic recycling
and staff training, to more complex exercises,
including analytics, Knight says.
One critical metric that’s often ignored
in targeting food-waste issues is calculating
actual versus theoretical usage, he says.
“There’s often a difference between the two.
If you find out someone is hacking an inch
off the end of an onion and two layers of peel
for example, you now have 50 per cent versus
a 70- to 80-per-cent yield. It’s surprising how
quickly your margins start disappearing. In
some cases, operators discover there can be as
much as a five- or six-per-cent swing between
the two.”
There are also advanced systems that can
help operators with available budgets and
time, from POS integration to inventorymanagement
software, Knight adds. “Really,
you can take costing [and analysis] to the
ends of the earth.”
Ultimately, planning should start with
three important basics, he adds. “Skills training,
recipe costing and portion control can
make massive differences in controlling food
waste overall.” FH
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MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 35
L A B O U R
RELATIONS
TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN TALENT IN TODAY’S MARKET,
EMPLOYERS NEED TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD
BY AMY BOSTOCK
The Challenge |
According to Restaurants Canada, labour
issues remain the top challenge for foodservice
operators, with 59 per cent of those surveyed
reporting the shortage of good talent is
keeping them up at night.
Ryan Smolkin, founder & CEO, Smoke’s
Poutinerie Inc., says staff turnover, along with
the higher minimum wage, “has been a big
hit to our entire industry. Our labour costs
increased by 30 per cent and we also find
ourselves competing with more players [for
staff].”
Restaurants Canada’s Restaurant Outlook
Survey Q3 2019 states “turnover is also a
constant problem for restaurants, especially
with a low unemployment rate. While some
roles have a low annual turnover rate, it can
be as high as 300 per cent for some positions.
There are also the hidden costs around
finding and replacing employees that must
be considered.”
“That puts pressure on management
— especially in quick-service operations —
to be more operationally involved in the
business than I’ve ever seen in my 30 years
[as a recruiter],” says Michael Sherwood,
VP Recruitment Lead (Consumer Goods/
Foodservice) at Toronto-based Anything Is
Possible (AIP).
Smolkin agrees, saying managers need to
be even more self-aware in today’s climate,
ensuring employees feel nurtured and valued.
“We should be doing that anyway,” he clarifies,
“but it’s even more evident now because
there’s zero loyalty [among staff] these days as
[employees] are always looking for the next,
better job.”
And, while smaller operators are hit even
harder by the labour challenge than larger
chains with the budgets to invest heavily in
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OPPORTUNITIES
hiring and human resources, Smolkin says the
entire foodservice industry is facing the same
challenge — with competition coming from
within the industry, as well as from outside
competitors, including retail chains and
grocery stores.
“[Restaurant operators] realize everybody’s
up against the same [labour] challenge,” he
says, noting hiring practises need to change to
address the problem.
Sherwood agrees. “The days of posting a
job on a whiteboard and expecting to find
that individual — especially in the restaurant
space — is impossible.”
The Opportunity |
While better benefits, work/life balance and
increased employee engagement are all key
to keeping staff, finding them to begin with
is another matter entirely. For some outsidethe-box
thinkers, the shortage of home-grown
talent has offered up the opportunity to look
farther afield for qualified labour pools.
Starbucks, which has a long-standing history
of working with social agencies and
government bodies to create hiring programs,
developed the Opportunity For All Youth
coalition. In Canada, the company announced
in November of last year it would hold a firstof-its-kind
refugee hiring event. “Starbucks
is the leading employer of refugees and made
a commitment to hire 1,000 refugees by
2020,” says Luisa Girotto, VP Public Affairs
for Starbucks Canada. “We’re currently ahead
of our five-year goal, having hired about 500
refugees in less than three years.”
Closer to home, word of mouth and using
your existing team as recruiters can also be a
good way to attract new staff, says Sherwood.
“If your organization is successful, vibrant
and doing all the right things, then it goes
without saying you’re going to have referrals
[from existing staff]. They become your
brand ambassadors.”
Post-hiring, Smolkin says it all comes
down to training — and doing it in a way
that appeals to your staff. Gone are the days
of training manuals and written tests. Today’s
foodservice workforce is younger, more tech
savvy and has been raised on digital.
At Smoke’s, management is seizing the
opportunity speak to their employees in new
ways by introducing online training modules.
“It’s not standing up with a PowerPoint slide
— it’s all interactive. They’re on the [iPad],
passing modules and tests. We can grade them
and give them [online] badges for doing well,”
explains Smolkin.
Kevin Hulbert, recruitment specialist at
AIP, agrees recognizing the current generation
of people entering the workforce is drastically
different in terms of how they communicate
with one another is key to keeping your staff
engaged. He says operators need to find ways
to incorporate technology into the workplace
to engage staff.
“It sounds trite, but their cell phones are
their world,” he says. “There’s vastly different
approaches to how people communicate and
the way they connect with one another.”
Smoke’s has also incorporated Winnipegbased
7shifts into its operations to manage its
labour across its franchise network.
With the 7shifts app, staff can communicate
with each other directly to swap shifts
or managers can leave notes about tasks needing
to be completed. Smolkin says it goes
beyond just a scheduling and labourmanagement
system.
“It also has the engagement and communication
that demographic loves. They love
to voice their opinion, they love messaging
back and forth. But the underlying part of it is
their manager/franchisee will be using it as an
instructional tool as well.”
Beyond engagement, Smolkin says it’s
important for operators to understand
employee goals and help them achieve them.
“What [do your employees] want to get
out of [the job]? What was their goal on day
one — do they want to be a supervisor or
a manager? Do they want to own their own
franchise someday? Our employee demographic
wants to see that you genuinely care
about them and want to see them advance.
You’re not going to be naive and think they’re
going to be there for five years — it’s a stepping
stone to put themselves through school a
lot of times. You need to show them you want
to help them get there and there’s no hard
feelings when they’re ready to go.”
Hulbert agrees clear opportunities for
growth or “even something as simple as a title
change — some sort of responsibility shift —
can be motivating for some people.” He also
notes the importance of “not just leaving staff
in a position forever so they feel they have to
go somewhere else to advance.”
He says chains such as Joey and Earls have
really embraced this philosophy, offering
training, advancement opportunities and
even the chance to relocate to new parts of the
country to work in their different restaurants.
“They’re moving their people around,
they look after them as well,” says Hulbert.
“They’re impacting the industry —
that’s the bar they’ve set [for the rest of the
foodservice industry].” FH
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MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 37
S A F E
PASSAGE
STAFF TRAINING IS KEY TO MAINTAINING FOOD-SAFETY
STANDARDS IN FOODSERVICE BY NICK LAWS
The Challenge |
The road from farm to fork is a long one,
with food passing through many hands before
landing on customers’ plates. And when food
is travelling along the supply chain, safety is
top-of-mind at every touch point.
Billy Arvanitis, vice-president of
Operations at Montreal-based Foodtastic,
says food doesn’t make it into his restaurants
unless it’s passed safety tests at every step.
“[Food safety] is paramount. Where you’re
sourcing products from a supplier, the companies
they partner with have to be federally
licensed and inspected by a reputable corporation.
The safety of the product when it
comes in is first and foremost,” says Arvanitis.
“I know there’s a lot that goes into running a
restaurant, but it all starts there.”
Ensuring restaurant food is safe is a lengthy
and meticulous process, but as Domenic
Pedulla, president of the Calgary-based
Canadian Food Safety Group says, it’s a
necessary one.
“Not meeting safety standards could be
devastating to your business; it could sink a
lot of small businesses,” says Pedulla.
While the logistics behind keeping food
safe varies at every level — from supplier
to restaurant operator — the one constant
is training.
Ruth Pertran, Ph.D. is a senior corporate
scientist of Food Safety and Public Health at
Ecolab and in her experience, it’s about the
people, not the equipment.
“Food safety is all about behaviours performed
by everyone along the food supply
chain, from farm to fork,” says Pertran.
This need for intense attention to detail at
every step is compounded by the fact food
is being shipped from companies scattered
across the globe, she adds.
“Today’s long, globalized food supply
chain creates many opportunities for food
to become contaminated. And large-scale
production and distribution can lead to broad
infection, potentially affecting foods served at
your restaurant.”
Experts agree training is the best way to
mitigate most, if any, food-safety concerns at
any facility. Whether in the distribution ware-
iSTOCK.COM/DIMA_SIDELNIKOV
38 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
CHALLENGES &
OPPORTUNITIES
house or the restaurant kitchen, it all comes
down to staff.
However, this can cause problems, as staff
training can be costly, with Pedulla saying services
can cost up to $100 per staff member.
This puts a crunch on many small businesses,
forcing them to cut corners in some
situations — something Pedulla knows hangs
over the industry like a dark cloud.
“Money is a barrier for a lot of companies
since margins are notoriously thin in foodservice.
It’s a barrier to the smaller businesses
that have to do it on their own.”
Arvanitis sees the choice as an easier
one — money is only a problem if you make
it one.
“It’s pretty easy. A lot of the [practices]
that truly help keep your guests safe don’t
cost very much. It just takes discipline to follow
procedures put in place,” says Arvanitis.
“Equipment comes into play eventually, but
training and tools come into play first.”
“Smart” equipment has become trendy in
the industry, with some larger, more financially
capable companies opting for the newest
technology but, according to Arvanitis, the
best solution to the problem — with a few
exceptions — is training the people
who operate the equipment, not replacing
the equipment.
“There are exceptions where foodservice
equipment is not up to par or not working,
but most of the time the things that help keep
you safe are about the discipline of the staff,”
says Arvanitis. “You hope everybody follows
suit, but when there’s proper training in place,
it become automatic.”
The challenges associated with food safety
extend beyond equipment and training costs.
For those who don’t meet the standards put in
place across the country, an intangible penalty
is laid down — and it could be harsher than
any fine.
“There’s no question, we won’t talk to
somebody that has a questionable reputation
for food safety — that would be completely
illogical. We want to partner up with reputable
companies so we have traceability,”
says Arvanitis.
“For companies focused on food safety,
protecting their reputations and reducing the
risk of losing customers is how they capitalize
on the issue. Ensuring they’re protecting
customers from foodborne illnesses or food
contamination is critical to staying in business,
building their reputation and maintaining
repeat customers,” adds Pertran.
The Opportunity |
On one side of the proverbial food-safety
coin is staff training and habits, which are at
the forefront of food safety in the restaurant
industry. And with more certification programs
available, restaurant operators have a
chance to stand out from the crowd by going
above and beyond the call of duty.
Ontario recently passed a law mandating
restaurants have at least one person on each
shift who is safe-food-handling certified.
Pedulla’s company does training for these
certificates and, while he says it’s a step in the
right direction, he doesn’t believe it’s enough.
“That doesn’t seem high enough, right? We
want to make training affordable for everyone,
not just managers and supervisors.”
The Canadian Food Safety Group is
addressing the gap by offering certification
at a lower cost. High-school students can
become fully certified for just $15 and other
members of the industry pay only $25.
“We don’t make a lot of money at this, but
it’s not about that — what’s important is that
it’s accessible for everyone,” says Pedulla.
The other side of the coin is equipment
and technology and how operators incorporate
innovation into their operations to promote
a healthier, safer foodservice industry.
Practices as simple as having a hygienic
design on meat processors, which allows for
employees to easily dismantle and clean the
machine without using extra tools, or installing
an automatic door bottom — a rodentproof
auto-retracting door bottom to keep
pests out — will help eliminate problems.
More intricate equipment offerings include
the Steam Infusion Vaction Pump, a device
that sits within a cooking vessel and uses
steam to simultaneously heat, mix and pump
liquids without particulates, or the HFPC 120
robotic food-handling system, which uses a
modular approach to match the requirements
of operators’ food-processing line.
While efficient equipment can help
operators save money and time and training
can help stave off bad habits in employees,
food safety in and of itself is non-negotiable.
“As a restaurant owner or manager,
preventing foodborne illnesses is perhaps
your most serious responsibility. Not only is
it important to your customers’ safety and
satisfaction, it’s critical to your business,” says
Pertran. “The many federal and provincial
regulations aimed at protecting consumers
from tainted foods can be used to hold restaurateurs
strictly liable for serving contaminated
foods that make someone sick. Failure to take
food safety seriously can result in negative
publicity, expensive lawsuits and, in some
cases, criminal charges.” FH
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 39
INTRODUCING
TUESDAY, APRIL 21 ST , 2020
THE SHERATON CENTRE
TORONTO HOTEL
SHIFTING THE NARRATIVE
A day-long summit that brings together today’s and
tomorrow’s foodservice and hospitality leaders to shift the
narrative and shape a new landscape. Find out how they’re
tackling the economic and social challenges of the day while
focusing on the future.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Icons & Innovators Panel
Keynote by Mark Brand, Social Entrepreneur/
Restaurateur
Luncheon Keynote Address by award-winning chef
Daniel Hadida, Pearl Morisette, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Panels featuring a mix of Top 100 leaders who
examine the challenges of the day, and Top
30-under-30 leaders who discuss how they plan to
elevate the industry and change the world.
And, breakout sessions featuring industry leaders
speaking on important issues such as:
• Sustainability
• Gender Equality & Diversity
• Future Trends
• Mental Health & Wellness
• Generational Shifts
• The Changing Face of Work
• Food Waste
• Innovation
Presentation of the Top 30 Under 30 Awards, now
under the KML umbrella.
Heather McCrory
CEO, North and Central
America, Accor
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Mark Brand
Social Entrepreneur/
Restaurateur
Don Cleary
President, Marriott
Hotels of Canada
Michael Smith
Chef and TV Personality
LUNCHEON SPEAKER
Daniel Hadida
Chef, Pearl Morisette
To register, or for more information, visit
kostuchmedia.com/shop/vision-2020/
foodserviceandhospitality.com
hoteliermagazine.com
EQUIPMENT
ICE AGE
New technology allows
ice machines to evolve
from behind-the-scenes
heroes to the
stars of the show
STORY BY JESSICA HURAS
t first glance, an ice machine may seem like a
straightforward piece of restaurant equipment.
But, from cooling ingredients to complementing
a cocktail’s presentation, ice performs a diverse
variety of functions in the kitchen and behind
the bar. As the technology behind these foodservice foot
soldiers advances, operators are looking for machines that
don’t just perform the requisite cooling, but allow them to
enhance customer experience.
BAR KISMET/HOSHIZAKI CANADA
CHILL FACTOR
The three basic types of ice produced by ice machines are
cube, nugget and flaked — each of which offer different
characteristics for operators to leverage. Cube-ice melts
slowly, making it ideal for minimizing dilution in cold
drinks and cocktails. Nugget-ice can also be used in drinks,
offering slow-melting qualities along with a softer texture
that makes it easy to chew. Flaked or shaved ice is moldable
and soft, so it’s well suited to displaying chilled meats and
seafood.
“Nugget ice is super cool and is going to be one of the
emerging [varieties] of ice you’re going to see more of,” says
Josh Wolfe, director of Sales in Ontario for Food Service
Solutions. “It has more to it than just cooling effect; it has
great texture and is fun to chew. It soaks up the flavour.”
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 41
EQUIPMENT
Nugget ice was first popularized
by U.S. fast-food chain Sonic,
with “Sonic ice” garnering a cult
following for its crunchy, chewable
texture.
“The overall trend is toward
nugget ice,” agrees Trey Hoffman,
Hoshizaki America Inc.’s product
manager for Ice and Water.
Hoffman notes nugget-ice
machines are more expensive and
require more maintenance than
cube-ice machines, but also offer
a way for operators to stand out
in a competitive market. “If you
have four people in a car and,
all things are equal, one of those
people is an ice chewer, they’re
going to say ‘let’s go to Sonic’
because they have that chewable
ice,” explains Hoffman. “Those
little differences can make a big
difference overall.”
Both Wolfe and Hoffman agree
the ability of nugget ice to absorb
the flavour of its surrounding
liquid has potential beyond
quick-service chains. “I’ve begun
playing around a little bit with
cocktails [served] with nugget
ice,” says Wolfe. “After you drink
your cocktail on the rocks, you
can spend a few minutes chewing
on this ice to have a secondary
experience.”
Wolfe adds there are now
various small-sized nugget-ice
machines on the market that
can easily fit under the counter
in most bar set-ups — a smart
choice for bars interested in producing
a small volume of nugget
ice to complement a few select
drinks in their cocktail program.
Ice is a key part of the drink
program at Braven, Oliver &
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Bonacini Hospitality’s (O&B)
steakhouse in the JW Marriott
Edmonton ICE District. Julien
Lavoie, O&B’s director of
Operations in Alberta, says the
restaurant uses a combination of
ice machines and hand-chipped
ice for its cocktail menu. “The ice
actually changes the dynamic of
the drink,” he explains. “You mix
the same ingredients over a large
cube, rather than in a shaker with
an ounce of shaved ice, and it’s
going to taste very different.”
In addition to its current cubeice
machine, Lavoie says Braven
will soon be adding a flaked-ice
machine to its arsenal. “We’re
going to be introducing a cocktail
with shaved ice and champagne
— almost like a champagne snow
cone,” he says.
Like most bars and restaurants,
Braven makes its large-format
ice cubes (cubes that are bigger
than about one inch) by hand;
however, Hoffman says Hoshizaki
is aiming to change that. “Right
now, the large-format-ice market
is not served by machines; it’s
served by people hand-making
this ice with molds or presses,”
explains Hoffman.
In Q2 of 2020, Hoffman says
Hoshizaki will be introducing
a sphere-ice machine that can
produce balls of ice around 1.8
inches in diameter. Marketed
toward bars and restaurants with
high-end cocktail programs, the
sphere-ice machine aims to automate
the time-consuming process
of making large-format ice by
hand.
At a projected list price
of US$12,000, the sphere-ice
machine is a bigger investment
than most ice machines, but
Hoffman says it could be a gamechanger
for the right operators.
KEEP ON KEEPING ON
New technology is making it
easier for operators to detect
From the
Supply Side
ICE-O-MATIC’S GEM2006
PearlStorm ice machine
produces more than 2,000lbs.
of Pearl Ice — the company’s
proprietary soft and chewable
ice with a unique shape — every
24 hours. The unique shape
easily absorbs its drink, infusing
the ice with flavour. The spacesaving
GEM2006 has no required
side clearance with front and
rear air exchanges allowing
side-by-side installation. It
also features a stainless-steel
evaporator and SystemSafe,
a load-monitoring system for
increased reliability.
and solve problems with their
ice machines. Many Hoshizaki
ice machines now incorporate
remote monitoring, allowing
operators to check on the status
of their machines in real-time via
an app.
“You can see how much ice it’s
making and, if there’s an error,
you’ll get a notification,” says
Hoffman. “Remote monitoring
gives you the ability to do predictive
maintenance. You can find
out there’s a problem when it
occurs and respond accordingly,
so it’s going to prevent downtime,”
he adds.
In spite of technological
advances, cleaning continues to
be one of the biggest maintenance
challenges for operators. “[Ice
machines] have all the magic
qualities you need for biological
growth,” explains Hoffman.
Goodfellas_QV.indd 1
2020-02-11 10:19 AM
42 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
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EQUIPMENT
“They have water and they have
oxygen; if they’re [located] in a
restaurant, especially a pizza or
a fried-chicken restaurant, they
have plenty of nutrition in terms
of flour.”
Hoffman says while most ice
machines need to be cleaned
every six months, machines set
in restaurants where a lot of
flour is used are at particular risk
for developing mould and need
to be cleaned more frequently.
Cleaning and maintenance routines
for ice machines are not
one-size-fits-all; they vary based
on the environment in which the
ice machine is located.
“I’m looking for that magic
bullet of a technology that prevents
biological growth in ice
machines so you don’t ever have
to clean it or you have to clean it
very infrequently,” says Hoffman.
“But of all the technologies available
to us right now — none of
them do it 100 per cent.”
As Wolfe points out, regular
cleaning and maintenance may
be a short-term inconvenience
but, in addition to preventing
potentially unhealthy conditions,
they ultimately save operators
money over the long-term. “The
better you clean the machine, the
more efficiently it will run,” says
Wolfe. “That means environmentally,
the cost goes down and,
to the operator, it also means
the operating cost goes down.
It means more money in their
pocket.”
OLD RELIABLE
While new technology opens up
opportunities for operators to get
creative with ice, many continue
to be satisfied with basic, wellmade
ice machines that can hold
up to the wear-and-tear of highvolume
service.
Zac Woo, head bartender at
Toronto restaurant Baro, says
the restaurant uses three ice
Big Little Ice
Josh Wolfe, director of Sales
in Ontario for Food Service
Solutions, says the introduction
of small, entry-level-priced
ice machines — such as the
Simag by Lancaster, Pa.-based
Scotsman — has been one of
the most innovative developments
in the ice-machine market
in the past few years.
These models have allowed
smaller foodservice establishments
that previously may
not have had the money or
retail space to invest in an ice
machine to enter the market.
“For the smaller mom-andpop
shop — people who, in the
past, were used to buying ice
— they can put a 50-or 60-lbs.
machine in and, over the course
of the lifetime of the machine,
save a huge amount of money
over buying ice,” says Wolfe.
“They’re looking at a 15-inch,
small footprint they can count
on. No more running to the
store, no more waiting for an ice
delivery and no more paying for
ice every day.”
machines (two Kold-Drafts and a
Hoshizaki) across its four floors
to keep up with its large demand
for ice. “As a bar manager or just
an operator, things that matter
to me about an ice machine are:
Is it reliable? Does it produce
enough ice? Is the ice consistent?”
says Woo.
He says for busy establishments
such as Baro, the most
important feature of an ice
machine is its dependability
during busy service times.
Ultimately, the best ice
machines offer consistent cooling
as well as the ability to elevate an
operator’s offerings, adding new
textures and dimensions. FH
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
TECHNOLOGY
iSTOCK.COM/RIDOFRANZ [YOUNG MAN USING PHONE]; RIDOFRANZ [YOUNG GUY WITH A BACKPACK AND CAP]; M-IMAGEPHOTOGRAPHY [YOUNG MAN WITH PHONE]
RESTAURANT OPERATORS
ARE TAKING CONTROL
OF THE DIGITAL-ORDERING
EXPERIENCE BY DANIELLE SCHALK
Digital ordering is top of mind
for many industry players, with brands
striving to take control of their customers’
digital-ordering experience.
Starbucks is often looked to as a
leader within the mobile-order and
pickup space, having entered the game
early (launching across the U.S. in 2015)
and investing significant resources into
the development of its “digital-flywheel”
approach, which incorporates rewards,
personalization, payment and ordering.
“Over the past five years, we’ve
invested significantly and systematically
to build a powerful digital flywheel that
today enables more than one-billion
digital customer occasions a year,” Kevin
Johnson, president and CEO, Starbucks,
explained during the company’s Q3 2019
earnings call. “The digital strategy we’re
executing against ensures we maintain a
direct relationship with our customers
and avoid getting disintermediated by
third-party ordering apps. It also enables
us to deliver personalized marketing
directly to our most loyal customers in
an efficient manner.”
Other large franchise leaders —
including Tim Hortons and McDonald’s
— have since launched their own digital
infrastructure to support this offering,
as have brands such as Swiss Chalet,
Smoke’s Poutinerie and Blaze Pizza.
Rather than develop their own
platform, a range of foodservice
establishments have opted to partner
with third-party order-ahead services
such as Ritual and ClickDishes. Big
third-party delivery players, including
Uber Eats, DoorDash and foodora, have
also started offering pickup through
their platforms in recent years.
“Whether it’s first party or third party,
people love the ability to order ahead
and skip the wait — and they don’t
want to pay extra for that convenience,”
says Ray Reddy, CEO and co-founder
of Toronto-based Ritual, which boasts
a presence across Canada, the U.S. and
additional international markets.
As Reddy explains, it makes sense that
order-ahead is an in-demand service in
urban centres. “Drive-thru sales in the
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 45
TECHNOLOGY
suburbs make up [about] 70 per cent of store
sales, but that’s true because they’re free to
use,” he says. “We think about mobile order
ahead as the equivalent of what the drive thru
is in the suburbs.”
Reddy’s comparison may prove an increasingly
apt one, as Chipotle Mexican Grill
announced plans in December to begin testing
a new restaurant design featuring walk-up
windows to better support its billion-dollar
digital business.
Beyond the convenience of skipping the
line, mobile-ordering platforms also have the
added benefits of easy order customization
and allowing customers to save their favourite
orders to simplify future purchases.
Ritual goes a step further to facilitate what
Reddy refers to as a “peer-to-peer delivery
network” within office environments through
the platform’s “Piggyback” feature. The social
group-ordering feature allows a user to offer
pickup for their team when they place an
order and notifies team members so that they
can join. Ritual even incentivizes those who
pickup orders for their team members by
offering them extra rewards points, which can
be used towards future purchases.
For operators, digital-ordering platforms also
unlock insights and marketing opportunities,
including direct marketing and personalized
offers/incentives.
“We can finally answer questions for restaurants,
such as how many new customers
do you get every week, how many of them
return and, for those who return, how often
do they return? Also, what makes them
return?” says Reddy. “That’s invaluable data
for merchants.”
As with any new technology, its introduction
has resulted in a unique set of challenges.
“Many legacy POS systems don’t
have integration ability,” Reddy
notes. In these cases, the company
provides restaurants with a device
for managing orders. “And, they can
either input [orders] into their POS
in real time or download monthend
or week-end reporting for
accounting purposes,” says Reddy.
Efforts are also being made to
streamline the pickup experience
in restaurants.
“Menus become pointless when
60 to 80 per cent of people have
already ordered; what you need is
traffic control,” says Reddy. “You see
a lot of people coming into stores
wondering, where’s my order?
When is it going to be ready?”
The solution: displays detailing
orders in progress. These can
already be found in many McDonald’s locations
and Ritual retrofits restaurant partners
with tablets that serve the same purpose.
There are also a number of low-tech
restaurant features being rethought, including
store layouts and the design of order-pickup
areas. “The reality is most stores weren’t
designed for a mobile-pickup experience,”
says Reddy. “When you enter a
store…typically the first thing you do
is wait in line to order and then move
over to the pickup area. But, when
you have a lot of people coming in
that have already ordered, making
them cut through a busy line doesn’t
make sense.”
Some brands have developed
innovative in-restaurant solutions to
streamline the pickup experience. For
example, Little Caesars introduced
the industry’s first heated, self-service
mobile-order pickup portal in 2018, which
it launched in Canada in October. The
brand’s Pizza Portal pickup has attracted
attention as an innovative technology and
received accolades from the International
Franchise Association.
Customers who order through Little
Caesars’ app or website can bypass the line
when arriving at the restaurant and retrieve
their orders from the Pizza Portal’s secured
compartments using a provided three-digit
pin and QR code.
Last December, Chipotle began testing new walk-up windows,
Little Caesars’ Pizza Portal Pick-up (below)
Independent brands have also been developing
their own strategies to accommodate
demand for mobile orders. Vancouver-based
Tractor Everyday Healthy Foods launched a
new pick-up-only concept — Tractor Digital
— in June 2019, developed in partnership
with digital-product studio Apply Digital.
Leveraging intuitive design and AI, the Tractor
Digital platform offers advice and incentives
during the ordering process, optimizes menu
options and tracks customer satisfaction and
quality control.
“It’s an interesting time because we’re asking
ourselves where we think customers see
value and how people prioritize their purchases
for quick-service food,” says Meghan
Clarke, the company’s co-founder. “In the
heart of urban centres, the [Tractor Digital]
concept will probably, over time, be the format
that will really sing with customers.”
“My sense is that [digital ordering] is going
to become one of the most important dimensions
for restaurants to win on,” agrees Reddy,
pointing to the shifts that have taken place in
retail over the last decade as a road map of
what’s to come.
“It’s not about who ran the best store, it’s
about who embraced digital and understood
the game has changed. The same thing is
going to be true in the restaurant world.
Winners and losers are now going to be dictated
by those who understand and optimize for
digital versus those who don’t.” FH
46 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
POURING FOR PROFITS
BREWING COMPETITION
Big beer brands still dominate the market,
but craft beer continues to gain ground BY NICK LAWS
RAWPIXEL [CRAFT BEER]
The Canadian beer
industry continues
to be dominated
by a select
few large players,
but as customers’ palates
diversify, the market is
seeing a rise in smaller
craft breweries.
In 2016, the craft-beer
segment represented six
per cent of total beer
market share in Ontario,
but over the past three
years, it’s shown continuous
growth — reaching
8.9 per cent in 2018 —
and forecasts show the
segment was expected
to grow by 10 per cent
or more through 2019,
according to Torontobased
Ontario Craft
Brewers (OCB).
A number of factors,
including advancements
in technology and the
introduction of beer in
grocery stores, have given
craft beer a much-needed
boost. There are currently
375 grocery stores
selling beer in Ontario,
NEW BREWS
Strong Patrick
Beau’s Brewing
The luscious and malty ale pours
brilliant red with a creamy head. Its
aroma conjures notes of caramel,
whiskey, oak and malts.
with 15 per cent of beer
sales being attributed to
craft products, according
to OCB.
There is, however,
concern surrounding the
potential for over saturation
of the craft-beer
market, as more local
operations seek to ride
the wave of its new-found
popularity.
But Jeff Dornan, president
of All or Nothing
— a craft brewery located
in Oshawa, Ont. — and
chairman of the OCB,
says while some may have
a gloomy outlook on the
state of craft beer, he sees
a bright future ahead.
“I still see nothing but
growth. When you look
at our volume in percentage
of market share
in Ontario, we’re barely
scratching the surface.
There’s a lot of excitement
and growth yet to occur,”
he explains.
For now, national
brands are controlling the
Canadian beer market,
with two breweries —
Molson Coors Brewing
Company and Anheuser-
Clementine White IPA
Field House Brewing
Inspired by the flavour of the citrus fruit,
this Northeast-style IPA pairs citrus-forward
hops with freshly zested clementines
for a bright and bold beer.
Busch InBev SA/NV —
representing just under
half of the Canadian beer
market. According to a
2019 study done by U.S.-
based IBIS World, the two
brewing behemoths control
49.8 per cent of the
Canadian beer market.
The Molson Canadian
and Coors Light brands
currently hold a 33.3 per
cent share of the entire
Snooze You Lose Brown Ale
All or Nothing Brewery
market, while Anheuser-
Busch controls 16.5 per
cent of the market with
popular brands such as
Budweiser, Stella Artois
and Labatt. The thirdhighest
market share of
any brewery in Canada
belongs to Moosehead
Breweries — Canada’s
oldest independent brewery
— with a 3.9-per-cent
market share.
This offering from the Oshawa-based craft
brewery uses Ontario wildflower honey. It’s
medium-brown in colour and has notes of caramel,
chocolate, coffee, malt and sweet honey.
While these big names
continue to lead the pack,
craft breweries continue
to forge ahead, aided by
each beer’s distinct flavour
and each brewery’s
unique feel.
“There’s a sense
of adventure, says
Dornan. “We get people
constantly coming in as a
tourist attraction. Every
brewery has its own kind
of flavour profile — you
could taste two lagers
from two different
breweries and they taste
completely different —
and that adds a sense
of adventure.” FH
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY 47
CHEF’S CORNER
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
Chef Greg Laird’s culinary talent is as layered as his croissants
BY NICK LAWS
“
Rough, stupid and funny,” are three words chef
Greg Laird uses to describe his 19-year-old
self. From a kid who started at McDonald’s, to
becoming the owner and head chef of a popular
Toronto pâtisserie, Laird has a come a long way.
His culinary journey started after high school, when
he left McDonald’s with no plan for the future. “I was a
bit of a delinquent. I finished high school and didn’t have
much direction in my life,” says the 29-year-old chef.
Ultimately, he decided to go back to what he knew
— cooking. As a line cook at a Tilted Kilt location in
Toronto, he learned to make “real food, in a real kitchen,
working with a real chef,” and the experience triggered
something in Laird.
“When I started at the gastro pub, I stepped back
and thought maybe I could become a chef,” says the
Scarborough, Ont. native, who quickly climbed the restaurant
ladder, eventually ending up at The Tempered
Room with then owner, Bertrand Alépée.
The pâtisserie had been looking for a chef de cuisine
and, while Laird had been offered a job as head chef at
BITS & BITES
WHAT WOULD
YOUR LAST MEAL BE?
“My mother-in-law’s
dum kebab. It’s the
most delicious thing
I’ve ever had.”
FAVOURITE
COUNTRY TO EAT IN
Japan: Tokyo or Osaka.
“I love Japanese food
and culture; the
respect they put into
every dish is amazing.”
FAVOURITE
INGREDIENT
“I love using liqueurs
in my pastries;
they add a depth
to your food that many
ingredients can’t bring.”
FAVOURITE DISH
“Any sort of braise —
beef cheek, short ribs,
pork belly.”
another Toronto restaurant, he
wanted to broaden his horizons and
learn the pastry side of the kitchen.
The Tempered Room had gained
notoriety for its light, flaky and
perfectly layered croissants — which
are the result of a long and arduous
process. “The croissants are our figurative
and literal bread and butter,”
says Laird. “Bert started me on the
croissants and, to be honest, I [was
nervous] in the beginning.”
The croissant became the crux
of Laird’s learning and he wanted
to master it. Alépée also taught him
various French techniques on the
savoury side “and I learned through
osmosis.”
Under the tutelage of Alépée,
Laird began to grow as a chef.
“Bert’s been a true mentor, he took
me under his wing from the time I
got here,” he says. “He’s one of the
most impressive chefs I’ve ever worked with.”
Laird’s approach to cooking is clinical and methodical.
“There are two aspects to cooking — the art and the science.
The art is apparent in the final product and it’s what
attracts customers. The presentation is how it looks on
the menu, how it’s plated, but before you can get to that
step, you need to understand the science,” he explains.
“Everything from emulsifying an aioli, to the ratio of the
butter to the acid to the eggs. It may look great on the
plate, but when you start to eat it, if the science wasn’t
there, the taste won’t be either.”
Today, his culinary philosophy is a delicate balance
between the art, science and love of food.
“I want to create something approachable, yet elevated.
It comes down to caring — you want to put that attention
to detail in everything you do,” says Laird. “I feel
like a lot of the time people want to be mad scientists and
they lose that homey, lovely feeling of just sitting down to
a meal and enjoying it.”
So how does Laird describe himself now?
“Rough, a little less stupid and caring.” FH
THE TEMPERED ROOM
48 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY MARCH 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
It’s time to celebrate the care that goes into every Canadian egg.
The new Egg Quality Assurance (EQA) program shows your
customers, right on the menu, that their eggs are produced by
Canadian farmers dedicated to delivering a top-quality product
that meets national food safety and animal care standards.
Visit eggquality.ca and add the EQA symbol to your menus today!
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