Food for Thought - December 1, 2003
By The Editors -- Restaurants & Institutions, 12/1/2003
FDA, House Target Menu Labels
Do consumers need or want detailed nutrition information on everything they order from restaurant menus? The issue is under consideration by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and last month was behind introduction of the Menu Education and Labeling Act in the U.S. House. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced the bill, which would require restaurant chains with 20 or more units to provide nutrition breakdowns of foods served.
The Washington, D.C.-based National Restaurant Association (NRA) released a statement criticizing the legislation, which it says “clearly misses the target” of confronting the obesity issue. “As a result of the many choices that appear on our nation’s restaurant menus, there can be no feasible, one-size-fits-all application of menu labeling legislation,” the NRA added.
In October, FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan said the agency is eyeing the role menus play in helping consumers make food choices. (Restaurants are exempt from 1990 legislation that requires nutrition information on most packaged foods.) Allison Whitesides, NRA director of legislative affairs, expects the FDA, which will release preliminary recommendations on menus and obesity early next year, to propose voluntary disclosure. “The agency understands the unique difficulties that would be involved for this industry” if menu labeling were mandated, she says. “It simply wouldn’t be workable.”
Committing to the Future
Johnson & Wales University and contract foodservice giant Compass Group North America have established a multifaceted Covenant partnership that includes a $2 million gift from the contractor to the university’s culinary-education programs. The joint effort will benefit students through a variety of programs while allowing Compass selected input into coursework that will shape future employees.
For students, the agreement means scholarships, cooperative education opportunities—including an internship program with the contractor—and a career network that will help connect Johnson & Wales students and alumni to jobs with the company. The program also will support continuing education of faculty through temporary work assignments at Compass Group subsidiaries, The Charlotte Observer reports.
“The sky’s the limit on what we can do,” John Tuomala, manager of college relations and recruitment for Compass Group, told the Observer. “We had access [to Johnson & Wales graduates] in the past, but we didn’t have access to influence curriculum and influence faculty. We now have access at a whole other level.”
The opportunities will be available at all seven Johnson & Wales locations, including the main campus in Providence, R.I., and the latest addition set to open in September 2004 in Compass Group North America’s headquarters city of Charlotte, N.C.
Making His Aramark
William Leonard next month becomes the fourth chief executive officer in Philadelphia-based Aramark Corp.’s 44-year history, succeeding Joseph Neubauer. Leonard (r.), 55, joined the contract-management company in 1982 and currently serves as president and chief operating officer. Neubauer, 62, who has served as Aramark’s chairman and CEO since 1984, assumes the title of executive chairman of the board on Jan. 1.
“I believe that our future prospects have never been brighter,” Neubauer said in a statement announcing the transition plan. “By listening to our customers and clients, we now offer them the broadest platform of highly valued services. We plan to continue to bring our client- centric approach to our target markets around the world.”
During Neubauer’s tenure as CEO, Aramark’s annual revenues have risen from $3.5 billion to $9 billion. The company is the largest provider of managed foodservice in North America, with $5.7 billion in food-and-beverage revenues from 5,719 contracts in 2002.
Menu Focus
Civil disagreement may persist over whether pot roast’s Yankee or Southern version is best, but the dish’s popularity survives all debates. Braising unlocks flavors and tenderizes tougher beef cuts often used, although beef cheeks, veal or other choices produce hearty, comforting dishes as well.
BOSTON AREA
James’s Gate: Mary Quinn’s Pot Roast with garlic mashed potatoes and mushy peas
Copley’s Grand Cafe: Good Ol’ Yankee Pot Roast with stewed carrots and potatoesCHICAGO
West Town Tavern: Zinfandel-braised pot roast with garlic mashed potatoes and Pennsylvania Dutch black-vinegar sauceKEENE, N.H.
Keene State College: Southern pot roast, fresh zucchini sautéed with garlic and basil, and cornbread cake (Sodexho USA)MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Claim Jumper Restaurants: Pot Roast Melt sandwich with Oregon Cheddar, garlic mayonnaise, tomato, caramelized onions and creamy horseradish saucePAINESVILLE, OHIO
Lake Erie College: Yankee pot roast, noodles Romanoff, rissole potatoes and snow peas (Metz & Associates Ltd.)SALT LAKE CITY
Ruth’s Diner: Pot roast with natural gravy, twice-baked Romano-cheese potato and sautéed vegetablesSAN JOSE, CALIF.
Eulipia: The Ultimate Pot Roast, made with beef cheeks braised with seasonal vegetablesSEBRING, FLA.
Sebring High School: Pot roast, yeast rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh fruit, peach cobbler and low-fat milk
Hef Hawks Bevy of Burgers
Variety is the spice of life in more ways than one for Hugh Hefner, suggests a new Carl’s Jr. advertising campaign that features the Playboy icon. Ads depict the seemingly ageless Hefner enjoying a sandwich from the Carpinteria, Calif.-based chain’s new Six Dollar Burger line, which added four new flavors to the original that debuted in July 2001.
“We’re appealing to an audience of young, hungry guys who expect a quality product but want to have something different from time to time,” says Andrew Puzder, president and CEO of parent company CKE Restaurants Inc. “As a pop icon, Hefner appeals to our target audience and credibly communicates our message of variety.”
The new Six Dollar Burgers, available at a suggested retail price of $4.29, include The Guacamole Bacon Six Dollar Burger, The Western Bacon Six Dollar Burger, The Bacon Cheese Six Dollar Burger and The Chili Cheese Six Dollar Burger.
Is Wine Cooler?
Operators with alcoholic-beverage service would be wise to check wine inventories, especially stocks of reds, in preparation for growing demand. Wine consumption in the United States continues to rise, increasing an estimated 5% in 2003 after a 6% jump (to 245 million 9-liter cases) in 2002, according to new research from Impact Databank in New York City. Consumption of white wines continues to slightly outpace reds, but reds are expected to have the upper hand by 2005.
Wine imports leaped 14% in 2002, with Australia the hottest country of origin for imports. Growth in California table wines was fueled by varietals—especially merlot, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay—which accounted for 74% of California-wine consumption vs. 19% in 1985.
Keeping wine corks popping are the children of baby boomers. The swell in the number of Americans reaching legal drinking age during the mid-1990s (approximately 60 million) will result in large numbers of adults in their 30s (prime wine-consumption ages) through 2010, Impact reports.
Though final statistics on the 2003 California wine-grape harvest will be released in February, this year’s yield appears down slightly. The harvest is estimated at 3.05 million tons of wine grapes, down from 3.1 million tons last year, according to Gladys Horiuchi, communications manager for The Wine Institute, San Francisco. However, while per-acre yield is smaller than last year, grape quality and intensity of flavor are high, she says.
All Dolled Up
The recent launch of American Girl Place New York, a retail store with a 140-seat cafe and private dining room in New York City, involved the talents of two chefs. Culinary inspiration is provided by Michael Lomonaco (below), chef-director of the city’s Noche restaurant and former executive chef of Windows on the World. Richard Oliva, former executive chef of Portobello Yacht Club at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., oversees all food operations.
“They bring the right marriage of people and companies,’’ says Warren Dodge, group president of Chicago-based Levy Restaurants. Levy created and operates foodservice for the flagship American Girl Place Chicago, a concept developed by doll marketer Pleasant Company of Middleton, Wis., a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. “Both chefs come from New York and have extensive experience dealing with vendors and suppliers,’’ Dodge says.
“Ideas for [children’s meals] came from Mike and Rich brainstorming childhood memories,’’ Dodge adds. The cafe’s lunch menu includes such items as fruit kebabs and shaved ham and baby Swiss cheese on soft pretzel baguette. Fixed per-person menus are slightly pricier than at the Chicago store’s cafe: $20 for lunch and $23 for dinner vs. Chicago’s $17 and $18.
Ivy Idea
Guests at The Phoenician (Ivy ’98) in Scottsdale, Ariz., now can blend their own wine. “Custom Barrel Blending” takes place in the working wine cellar of the Praying Monk, the resort’s private dining room. Master Sommelier Greg Tresner and his team guide participants through the wine-blending process, using classic varietals to match tastes and individual preferences. The heady souvenir: a personalized bottle of custom Phoenician Cuvée.
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