Food menu | KRG Hospitality

Cartoon image of an anthropomorphic cicada wearing a toque and holding a pot

June 11, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Emerging Trend: Cicada Skewer, Anyone?

Emerging Trend: Cicada Skewer, Anyone?

by David Klemt

Need a cicada tattoo? Here ya go!

Two broods of cicadas, numbering in the trillions of insects, have been emerging throughout the US, and this may present operators with opportunity.

Brood XIII is emerging throughout the Midwest, while Brood XIX is making their presence known in the Midwest and Southeast.

I think it’s clear where I’m going with this: operators can put cicadas on their menus.

This suggestion comes with a few crucial caveats:

Harvesting must be done with care, and in safe areas.
The preparation must ensure guests can handle and consume the cicadas safely.
Operators must do their due diligence to make certain that preparing and serving cicadas is permitted in their venue’s jurisdiction.

With that out of the way, eating cicadas isn’t as unusual as it sounds. According to experts on the subject, people have been eating cicadas for centuries.

It’s likely anyone reading this has heard over the years that some insects are excellent sources of protein. Well, according to people who know more about eating bugs than I, this applies to cicadas. I’ve eaten a scorpion (not a live one) but it wasn’t prepared to make it delicious or even palatable, so…I’m no expert. (For those wondering, it was dry, mostly flavorless, and I didn’t enjoy it.)

Since there are people out there who know about these things, and because the internet exists, I dug into the topic of eating cicadas. I’m not telling anyone they need to put these on their menu, of course. But for those who are curious and enterprising enough to do so, what I’ve learned is below.

Harvesting

If an operator’s going to bring cicadas into theirr business, they need to be smart and careful about it, and do so within the bounds of the law.

The source area should be free from pesticides. Along those lines, the cicadas need to come from an area free of other contaminants.

From what I found online, one of the best approaches is to venture to places that don’t see much traffic. This should reduce the possibility of guests consuming harmful chemicals.

Think about it: If someone’s just grabbing cicadas out of a busy neighborhood or within a commercial or industrial area, the critters may have been subjected to lead, fertilizers, unsafe fluids, gasoline, diesel, etc.

But what about actually catching them? Well, there’s more than one approach. One can either hunt them quite early in the morning, when they’ve emerged and are starting to climb trees or tree stumps. Or, they can try an hour or two after dark, looking around the lower part of tree trunks and stumps. Cicadas with white wings are in their teneral state, which means they’re soft.

Another tip? The exoskeletons aren’t pleasant. So, some experts suggest waiting for them to molt before grabbing them. Most sources I found—I think I’ve read too much about this topic—recommended freezing cicada hauls immediately.

I’ll add this, as well. Operators who know foragers in their area of business can check in with them to see if they’re harvesting cicadas. Again, operators need to find out as much as they can about where the cicadas come from, how they’re being harvested, etc.

Preparation

While researching this topic, cooking cicadas before consuming them was a constant refrain. Eating them raw is viewed as not worth the risk of making one’s self sick.

Anyone still reading this and considering putting cicadas on their menu must keep the guest experience in mind. Sure, this is an adventurous, gimmicky thing to try. It still needs to be memorable and enjoyable.

So, serving cicadas that haven’t been “shelled” should be avoided. Further, the wings and legs should be removed as these can be very hard and unpleasant in terms of mouthfeel.

Along with not eating them raw, experts also want people to wash cicadas thoroughly before cooking them. In fact, I’m going to go ahead and opine that operators and their kitchen teams handle cicadas as though they’re raw chicken. Behave accordingly and responsibly.

A couple sources suggested blanching cicadas in boiling water for at least a minute, then freezing them until it’s time to prepare them.

When it comes to actually cooking them, it seems the sky’s the limit. Boil them, fry them, air fry them, grill them, roast them…

KRG Hospitality’s very own chef-consultant, Nathen Dubé, has a couple of suggestions for operators to consider.

First off, he suggests battering and frying cicadas. Serve them with a lime aioli “to play off the earthy asparagus and green pea flavour of the cicadas.”

Nathen also recommends skewering cicadas and grilling them over charcoal. Brush the cicadas with a soy-ginger-scallion sauce continuously “to play off the natural nutty flavour.” You can read culinary articles from Nathen here, here, and here.

I don’t know if Brood XIII and Brood XIX taste differently, or which is nutty and which is earthy. So, operators are going to have to try them to find out.

Caution

Multiple sources warn that cicadas can be unsafe for people with shellfish allergies.

So, people who are allergic to shrimp, for example, probably shouldn’t eat cicadas. Owners, operators, kitchen team, and servers and bartenders need to know this, and caution guests appropriately.

Another important warning? Cicadas can, it turns out, be high in mercury. This means that women who are pregnant or lactating, and young children, should either limit how many cicadas they consume or avoid them altogether.

Lastly, I did look up the safe minimum internal temperature for cicadas. Supposedly, that temperature is 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

As far as pricing, I’ll put this here: I found an online source selling a tin of five cicada nymphs for $13. Also, a restaurant that creates a buffet-style, bug-eating experience charges about $17 per adult.

Putting cicadas on the menu can be a lucrative opportunity to drive traffic and engage with guests. However, preparation and service must be done legally and responsibly.

Disclaimers: 1. This content is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as legal or other advice. This article does not constitute professional advice, nor does any information constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed, the law, or liability. This information is of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of a specific individual or entity. The reader of this information alone assumes the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information before making any decisions based on such information. 2. The image at the top of this article was generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system.

Image: Shutterstock.

AI-generated image of a Caesar salad in a bowl on a table with a birthday cake on top of it

June 10, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Happy Hundredth to the Caesar Salad!

Happy Hundredth to the Caesar Salad!

by David Klemt

AI generated some truly unhinged abominations before creating this image.

In about a month you and your kitchen team have the opportunity to pull out all the stops and celebrate an iconic menu item with your guests.

Whereas it’s often difficult to impossible, in contrast, to trace the origins of classic cocktails, we know much of the history of this particular dish. Driven by a restaurant in Tijuana, the Caesar salad will receive recognition on its hundredth “birthday” on July 4.

Or, more accurately, Caesar’s Restaurante Bar is planning a festival to celebrate the salad during the first week of July.

Given the attention this festival is receiving, savvy operators can also plan promotions around the Caesar salad.

Origins: Known

First, let’s get one of the greatest misconceptions surround this salad out of the way. No, it’s not named for Julius Caesar.

Next, let’s dispel another myth. No, the Caesar salad wasn’t around in Rome during Caesar’s reign. Well over two thousand years separate his five-year rule and the creation of this salad.

Rather, the salad carries the name, quite simply, of its creator, Cesare Cardini.

In 1913, Cardini traveled to New York City, and then headed to Montréal. He would return to Italy eventually, then come back to the US in 1919.

Before heading to Tijuana, Cardini ran at least one restaurant in Sacramento. Per reporting, he chose Tijuana—where he operated several restaurants and a hotel—to get around Prohibition.

Cardini’s daughter Rosa shared the salad’s story in 1987 with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. According to Rosa, an overwhelming number of guests arrived at her father’s hotel a hundred years ago. Of course, these guests also slammed the restaurant.

Cardini didn’t have enough fresh veggies to feed everyone, so he chose to improvise. Part of that improvisation was putting on a performance, preparing the first-ever Caesar salad in the dining room in front of the guests.

So, tableside is the traditional, original preparation, an interesting detail.

More Misconceptions

The Caesar, in its original preparation, consists of a handful of specific ingredients. Cardini used romaine hearts, eggs, lemons, Worcestershire sauce, garlic-infused oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, and croutons.

However, per Rosa, it’s not just the namesake of the salad and its country of origin that people get incorrect. You’ll notice that anchovies aren’t among the ingredients. Neither are mayonnaise or Dijon mustard. And as far as the finer details, Rosa told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that her father didn’t use raw eggs. Instead, they had been coddled, or boiled for one minute.

Another mistake for which Rosa expressed her disdain is tableside preppers putting all of the ingredients into a bowl at the same time to toss them. There’s a proper order, and you’ll find it at the bottom of this article.

Finally, Rosa noted that the appropriate method of tossing the romaine hearts is to use a gentle, under-over rolling technique. This approach prevents bruising of the leaves when done correctly.

Now, guests visiting bars and restaurants in America will have expectations on the Fourth of July. It’s likely that celebrating the Caesar salad isn’t one of them. So, operators should consider promoting their Caesars in the days before and just after that major holiday.

The Original

Below, the proper order to prepare a traditional Caesar salad, per Rosa Cardini. Following the instructions will yield four servings.

I’m going to skip the steps of making the garlic-infused oil and croutons in house.

The hearts (outer leaves removed) of two medium romaine lettuce heads should be cold and crisp. These can be kept whole or broken into two-inch lengths.
Pour four ounces of the infused oil over the leaves, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
Using the aforementioned proper technique, toss the leaves two or three times.
Break the coddled—not raw—eggs over the leaves. Add eight to ten drops of Worcestershire sauce along with the juice of two lemons. Again, toss two or three times.
Add six to eight tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and a half-cup of croutons (made with day-old white bread and a touch of the infused oil, traditionally), and toss again.
Serve on chilled salad plates.

There you have it. The original preparation.

According to Rosa, many guests simply picked up the leaves and ate them like slices of toast. Today’s guests will likely prefer a fork, but that’s an interesting note.

Of course, people enjoy putting their spin on this classic dish. In particular, adding all manner of proteins is a popular way to personalize a Caesar salad.

Recently, I tried a Caesar to which Everything But the Bagel seasoning had been added. Not bad.

Given its adaptability, it could be a good idea to create an LTO Caesar menu with the original at the top, along with two or three variations.

And, hey, while you’re at it, consider offering a Caesar cocktail (another very customizable item) alongside the Caesar salad. Why not?

Image: Shutterstock. Disclaimer: This image was generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system.

Street art-style, AI-generated image of a chef holding a color-coded recipe sheet

May 28, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Chef Duffy x NRA Show: Balance

Chef Duffy x NRA Show: Balance

by David Klemt

Those would be some pretty rad sleeves in real life.

I’m not done with the invaluable menu tips and tricks shared by Chef Brian Duffy during his 2024 National Restaurant Association Show live menu reads.

The KRG Hospitality team attends and speaks at multiple hospitality industry trade shows, conferences, and expos each year. When reviewing the education on offer, I always search for Chef Duffy’s name to see if he’s doing live menu reads.

And why have I developed this habit? Simple: The amount of insights one can take back to their business and implement immediately. Consider the impact one of Chef Duffy’s asides can have just on the guest experience.

As an example, when addressing the burger section of an anonymous operator’s menu, he casually mentioned that he always adds two slices of cheese to a cheeseburger to fill the top out more.

There’s also his tip for housemade, signature seasoning blends. Don’t make a quart, make ten pounds and store the blend in a flat tray, labeled clearly. Chef Duffy’s reads aren’t a breakdown of tips that only the operator who submitted the menu will find beneficial; everyone who pays attention will walk away with valuable advice.

At this year’s NRA Show, Chef Duffy had only enough time to get through three menu reads. However, he still packed his session with helpful advice. So, after reviewing all the notes I took, I decided I’d need to write two articles.

Let’s go!

Achieving Balance: Food Costs

In yesterday’s article, available here, I touched on one of Chef Duffy’s key points: achieving balance.

He made this point in response to a sports bar menu that had a couple pricing issues. One involved add-ons, with two slices of bacon costing $3.50 while a chicken breast was six dollars. And then there were the daily specials: two Chicago-style hotdogs cost more than a burger.

However, there’s more to balancing a menu—and the kitchen—than ensuring pricing makes sense to guests.

By now, we’ve all heard and read ad nauseam that costs are rising. In fact, we’ve all experienced these increases. Streamlining the menu, including production, can help mitigate this issue.

As Chef Duffy said during his menu reads, he’d rather execute 25 items perfectly than produce 50 items that suck. I can say that we wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment.

In part, we agree because we favor smaller menus. Offering fewer menu items made perfectly—consistently so—with cross-utilized ingredients as often as possible reduces food costs. There’s also that pesky paradox of choice inherent to a bloated menu.

But there’s another benefit: kitchen team satisfaction and retention. An overwhelmed kitchen team is an unhappy kitchen team, and an unhappy kitchen team will look for the exits. Losing a single team member costs an operator thousands of dollars, let alone an entire team.

Achieving Balance: Labor Costs

This is probably my favorite tip from this round of live menu reads: Chef Duffy color codes his recipes and menus in the development stage.

An operator can realize multiple benefits from this approach to menu programming. Among these is a visual representation of how many dishes are being prepped and produced by each station.

Color-coding the recipes and menu allows an operator, their leadership team, and kitchen team to avoid, as Chef Duffy put it, hammering a specific station. I’ll also opine that this technique can help identify any labor or skill gaps (or redundancies).

Chef Duffy’s method of menu development also helps operators balance their menus before they ever reach their guests’ hands. Case in point: One menu Chef Duffy reviewed in Chicago listed a single item underneath its own menu section. That’s not great balance.

I think every restaurant and bar operator can benefit from this tip, whether a visual, auditory, reading, or kinesthetic learner.

Achieving Balance: All Hands

A restaurant or bar doesn’t achieve success due to the efforts of a single person. So, why do so many concepts maintain silos?

When Chef Duffy prices a menu, he doesn’t do so alone. Rather, he involves the owner (or owners) of the business, the kitchen manager, and the head chef.

The word “culture” is thrown around a lot these days, nearly to the point that the word has lost its meaning. An operator who truly wants to build a positive work and brand culture needs buy-in from their team. A great way to not achieve that is to avoid transparency.

So, share numbers with the appropriate parties. A head chef needs to know the kitchen’s numbers if they ever hope to achieve the title “executive chef.” The leader who oversees the kitchen team can’t do their job effectively if they don’t know what the kitchen costs the business and what revenue it generates.

And a team that doesn’t feel trusted or appreciated—and that there’s no opportunity to develop as a hospitality professional to grow in this industry—is one that won’t hesitate to leave for better employment.

To that end, Chef Duffy strongly recommends that operators spend an hour per week with each kitchen team member. After all, as Chef Duffy pointed out, if an operator’s vision isn’t being executed, they have only themselves to blame.

An operator can’t expect to achieve consistency without working to achieve balance. Without consistency, a sustainable, scalable business is unachievable.

Image: Shutterstock. Disclaimer: This image was generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system.

Graffiti of crossed chef's knives underneath a baseball cap that reads, "D.E.G."

May 27, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Chef Duffy x NRA Show: Live Menu Read

Chef Duffy x NRA Show: Live Menu Read

by David Klemt

Chef Brian Duffy crushed it in Chicago at the 2024 National Restaurant Association Show.

We’re sharing tips from Chef Brian Duffy‘s live menu reads at this year’s National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.

These informative sessions are always standouts at industry trade shows and conferences. Both the operator who submits their menu anonymously and the audience gain valuable insight into menu programming and development.

In ten minutes or less, the Chef Duffy shares wisdom that’ll boost guest engagement; streamline and energize the kitchen; and help save on labor and food costs. And he won’t even Bar Rescue anyone who submits a menu. That is to say, no, he doesn’t yell at anyone while giving them tips for fixing their menu.

As Chef Duffy pointed out during his latest live menu reads, an operator’s menu has the potential to create generational wealth. However, it must be programmed properly for it to reach that potential.

So, ask yourself a question right now about your menu: Would you be proud for your menu, in its current state, to be plastered across a billboard? If not, I have another question for you: Why aren’t you taking the time to rectify that situation?

Your menu is your concept’s billboard. Treat it as such.

Oh, and one note for the NRA Show before we dive in: These sessions deserve at least two hours. One hour just isn’t enough given how impactful Chef Duffy’s live menu reads are for operators.

Menu Programming 101

There’s a logical reason why Chef Duffy is never short on menus to review. In fact, he addressed the situation directly at the 2024 NRA Show.

“Everybody has the same shit on their menu,” he stated frankly.

One explanation for why menus seem so similar makes a lot of sense.

“We’ve been told what to put on our menu buy our purveyors,” said Chef Duffy during his live menu read.

For the most part, operators are given the same product catalogs. These are circulated nationally, not regionally. So, everyone is ordering the same items. Clearly, Chef Duffy is fed up with this situation.

“We’re not here to do the same things that everyone else is,” declared Chef Duffy. “I don’t want to see that anymore.”

Menu #1: Sports Bar

This first menu featured a vibrant design that instilled a sense of patriotism. Chef Duffy theorized that he’d feel good spending time in this space, based on the menu’s appearance.

However, he wasn’t a fan of the layout of the menu. Taking up valuable real estate was a large catering ad, placed directly in the center.

In the top left were salads. “‘Add chicken to any salad,'” read Chef Duffy. “No shit. Why are we stopping at chicken? We can add anything to a salad.”

Based on his knowledge of food costs and the menu’s pricing, Chef Duffy deduced that the operator’s food costs were too high. In fact, he estimated that food costs were more than 31 percent. The burgers, he surmised, were running a 35-percent cost.

By the way, Chef Duffy always puts two slices of cheese on his burgers to fill the top out more. This delivers a more visually appealing experience, and a better bite.

On the topic of pricing, operators must maintain balance. For example, this first menu priced the addition of two slices of bacon at $3.50, but a chicken breast was six dollars. Two Chicago hotdogs cost more than a burger.

Menu #2: Breakfast Spot

Unfortunately, the operator committed one of Chef Duffy’s deadliest menu sins. There was a photo of the restaurant’s steak and eggs.

Worse, the image showed a rather large steak paired with a commodity egg. If this dish doesn’t leave the kitchen looking exactly like the picture, guests are going to be underwhelmed and unimpressed. Further, why are operators still trying to save money by buying commodity eggs?

However, there was a second deadly menu sin committed by the operator. Given the overall perception this menu delivered, the claim that at least one dish featured “wild-caught crab” didn’t ring true to Chef Duffy.

I’m confident in saying that I think lying on a menu may provoke Chef Duffy’s wrath more than a photo.

“If you lie to me on your menu, I will tear you apart,” he stated quite strongly.

That said, he did like the menu’s design (minus the photos). Even better, he recognized that there were several inventive spins on breakfast classics. Remember, “We’re not here to do the same things that everyone else is.”

Menu #3: Sports Bar

To be honest, I was expecting this type of menu. In fact, I thought it would be the first menu design encountered during this session.

Essentially, it was a collection of what everyone else has on their menus.

As an example, there were wings on the menu, and the sauces were anything but creative. Chef Duffy didn’t address it but they were also listed without commas, so they appeared to be one long, run-on sentence of a sauce.

The most glaring issues, however, were the pasta and the dessert. Both sections contained just a single item. That’s right—there was an entire section dedicated to one pasta dish. Moreover, it’s not like there were a number of modifiers one could select to personalize their pasta.

This was the item description underneath the dessert section (designated as “Closers”): “Dessert of the week – $8 Please ask your server for details.” There’s a significant issue with that description and placement, as identified by Chef Duffy.

If a menu includes desserts, the guest is likely going to forget about them after they’ve ordered their starter and entree. It’s far more effective to have a dessert tray or cart and train your servers to suggest dessert when they touch the table toward the end of the meal.

Takeaways

Chef Duffy throws in more tips during a single menu read than most people would expect.

Below are some of the takeaways that make his live menu reads so insightful:

Only list name brands if they come from a local farm. This approach shows that an operator cares about supporting local producers and is part of the community.
Use the best ingredients for the specific concept.
If a restaurant features housemade buns for burgers and/or bread for sandwiches, they should offer a version as an appetizer. Really make this idea shine by also offering housemade specialty butters.
Operators that have chips on their menus should use the crumbles and “dust” to make breading for other items. After all, the chips have been paid for already—use all of them.
It’s better and more impactful to have 25 items on a menu that are executed perfectly than 50 items that are executed poorly.
Chef Duffy doesn’t agree with omitting prices from menus. “Why? Are we negotiating? Are we negotiating before I place my order?”

Connect with Chef Duffy on Instagram, and learn more about him on the Duffified Experience Group website.

Image: Shutterstock. Disclaimer: This image was generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system.

May 24, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Want to Leverage Nostalgia? Spin It

Want to Leverage Nostalgia? Put Your Spin on It

by David Klemt

A recent report from Campbell’s Foodservice—along with supporting data from external sources—supports what many operators assume about food trends.

Our dive into Campbell’s Culinary TrendPulse 2024 report is here for those who want to take a look. Anyone who wants to download a copy of the report for themselves can click here.

However, I’m referencing a fresh, quick-hit report from Campbell’s. While it only takes a handful of minutes to read, it’s chock-full of useful insights.

In particular, this latest menu trend analysis looks into succeeding with nostalgia. Citing a study from Symrise in their post, 70 to 76 percent of guests ages 22 to 65 cherish nostalgic items.

Put simply, that translates to a truth most operators know: guests of all ages like comfort foods. This really doesn’t need much explanation. Comfort foods are—insert shocked Pikachu face here—comforting. And I think we’re all seeking comfort these days.

So, yes, operators should—in an authentic manner—speak to and fill this guest desire. Authentically in this context means putting comfort foods on the menu that make sense. Doing this successfully requires menu programming that fits with the brand and within the venue’s theme. It also necessitates really knowing your guests and what they expect.

For example, will a particular restaurant’s guests find mac and cheese comforting? Will they stop scanning the menu when they come across pozole? What about cacio e pepe or beef braciole? How receptive will they be to sukiyaki?

A sharp operator should know their guests’ tastes better than just about anyone. Therefore, they should know what foods they’ll find comforting.

However, there’s another way to succeed with nostalgia and enhance the guest experience.

“New” Nostalgia

There are a couple of ways to interpret the term “new nostalgia.”

One way is to tap into what foods, generally speaking since they’re not monoliths, different generations view as comfort foods. This can be something as simple as a certain candy or beverage from their childhood.

Another way is for an operator and their kitchen team to take a nostalgic dish and put their own spin on it. Using candy as an example again, a scratch-made interpretation of a treat to create a dessert may work.

Consider, as a real-world model for this approach, the Chocotini that Oceans Resort Casino featured toward the end of August in 2022. This was a direct response to the news that Klondike had retired the Choco Taco, a nostalgic treat for millions of people spanning multiple generations.

Of course, operators can also cross-utilize items to craft new menu items that tap into the craving for nostalgic comfort foods. These dishes can be permanent additions, seasonal menu updates, or LTOs.

Take a look at the image atop this article. Mac and cheese is a classic comfort dish. Now, feature it as a topping for a signature burger. That’s a prime example of new nostalgia.

Going farther, kitchen teams can combine nostalgia with another trend to get even more creative: global flavors. Are there tacos on the menu? Maybe bulgogi tacos featuring beef short rib, Korean slaw, and soy-lime dressing would resonate with guests.

I’m not saying anyone should menu these specific items. Rather, my aim here is to get operators and their kitchen and bar teams to put their heads together and create undeniable, irresistible takes on classics.

The key, again, is an understanding of the market, community, and guests. From there, it’s about getting creative and crafting dishes that guests can’t get anywhere else.

Image: Alex Haney on Unsplash

April 2, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: April 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: April 2024

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative April book selections will help you improve operations, refresh and streamline F&B programming, and learn more about coffee.

This month, we look at books covering an array of topics: overcoming dysfunctions within teams; stepping outside of comfort zones; cocktail and Irish dish recipes; and repurposing existing buildings.

To review the book recommendations from March 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Roundbuilding

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it seems like most cocktail books target home bartenders. In a refreshing change of pace, Roundbuilding is specifically for working bartenders. In case the name doesn’t give it away, this book is about crafting and serving consistent rounds of cocktails and ensuring a high standard of service.

From Amazon: “Roundbuiding is a practical guide to mixing cocktails, aimed at the working bartender. This is a book about ensuring that, for every round you serve, every drink is made to a consistently high standard, and that first sip always makes an impression. It’s the nuts and bolts of mixing drinks.”

Buy it today!

The World Atlas of Coffee (2nd Edition)

This bestseller enjoys a 4.8-star rating on Amazon with nearly 4,000 reviews on the platform. The World Atlas of Coffee also boasts a score of 4.4 on Goodreads.

Written by World Barista Champion James Hoffman (who’s also the co-founder of a successful coffee roaster operating out of London), this book will provide the reader with just about everything they need to know about coffee. The rise in popularity of cocktails like the Carajillo and the near-constant chatter about the Espresso Martini got me thinking: I should probably include a coffee book in one of these roundups.

From Amazon: “Coffee has never been better, or more interesting, than it is today. Coffee producers have access to more varieties and techniques than ever before and we, as consumers, can share in that expertise to make sure the coffee we drink is the best we can find. Where coffee comes from, how it was harvested, the roasting process and the water used to make the brew are just a few of the factors that influence the taste of what we drink. Champion barista and coffee expert James Hoffmann examines these key factors, looking at varieties of coffee, the influence of terroir, how it is harvested and processed, the roasting methods used, through to the way in which the beans are brewed.”

Pick your copy up now.

The Complete Recipe Writing Guide: Mastering Recipe Development, Writing, Testing, Nutrition Analysis, and Food Styling

This book isn’t even a year old but has already made waves. In fact, it was listed as one of Chef Eric Ripert‘s (Le Bernardin in New York City) books of the month just a couple of months after publication.

From Amazon: “The Complete Recipe Writing Guide shows you how to create professional recipe content from development to publication. Raeanne Sarazen, a registered dietitian and chef, shares her expertise from over 20 years of working with recipes as a test kitchen professional, recipe developer, food writer, and editor, along with insider tips from top industry professionals. Like a master class on recipes, this comprehensive resource guides you through the variety of skills needed to create and share successful recipes.”

Get your copy here.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

This informative and conversational book written by KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey is the perfect read for aspiring or seasoned bar, pub, lounge, or even restaurant owners, operators, and managers looking for that competitive edge in operations! If you’re looking for both fundamental and in-depth planning methods, strategies, and industry focused insight to either start or grow a scalable, sustainable, memorable, profitable, and consistent venue in today’s cut-throat industry, Bar Hacks is written just for you.

Pick up the paperback from Amazon today!

Hacking the New Normal: Hitting the Reset Button on the Hospitality Industry

Doug’s followup book to Bar Hacks! The world around us has changed. The food and beverage industry has changed. The hospitality industry has changed. But will some ways of life change for the better? Will perhaps the restaurant, bar, and hospitality industry come out even stronger? With the right changes to the previous status quo, it is possible. There’s no question, resets are major undertakings, but a major reset will provide us with a clean start and that’s what this industry needs.

Pick up KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey’s second book today! Click here.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

Elote or street corn-style dish on a table

March 26, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Put Your Finger on the Culinary TrendPulse

Put Your Finger on the Culinary TrendPulse

by David Klemt

An informative and engaging culinary trend report from Campbell’s Foodservice provides compelling insight that will help operators refresh their menus.

Recently, Campbell’s dropped their Culinary TrendPulse 2024 report. To download your own copy, click here.

Executive chef Gerald Drummond and senior chef Greg Boggs have identified four culinary trends for 2024. The chefs analyzed data provided by Campbell’s Foodservice and the company’s partners.

As has become commonplace, Campbell’s also took note of food and flavor social media mentions and conversations. This makes sense; if people are talking about it on social media, it’s probably growing in demand.

Now, I’m going to share each of the trends below. However, I’m going to laser in on one in particular. My reasoning is simple: It’s a compelling take on segment that has been experiencing growth, along with the accompanying growing pains.

To start, though, a brief look at three of the 2024 culinary trends identified by Chefs Drummond and Boggs.

TrendPulse 2024: Trends 1, 3 and 4

To put it bluntly, I think the first trend in this report is here to stay. It’s safe to say it has reached the proliferation stage.

So, when I see “global cuisine” in reports, I don’t really consider it a trend. What I want to see is specific cuisines, dishes or flavors identified as trending.

Fortunately, Chefs Drummond and Boggs have identified three global cuisines on the rise. Per the chefs and Campbell’s, Mexican, Asian, and North African cuisines are on an upward trend in the US.

In particular, operators should be aware of the following:

Asian cuisine: Korean, Souteast Asian, and Thai food are on the rise.
Mexican cuisine: birria, quesabirria, birriamen, chamoy, and street corn mentions have grown in menu mentions and social discussions.
North African cuisine is projected to grow by more than 12 percent on menus, year over year. Currently, operators should look at harissa, tagine, and peri-peri (a.k.a. piri-piri, or peli-peli).

Another trend from this report is “new nostalgia.” As the term suggests, consumers are showing interest in creative spins on well-known comfort foods.

Likely driven at least in part by global cuisines, heat is also on the rise. I mean that figuratively and literally.

Per a Tastewise data point cited in the Campbell’s report, sweet and spicy mentions—known as “swicy”—have grown nearly 50 percent over the past year.

TrendPulse 2024: Trend 2

Alright, so here’s the trend that stands out to me.

According to Chefs Drummond and Boggs, consumers are still very much interested in plant-based cuisine. However, they want actual plants to be the stars.

Or, as Campbell’s puts it in their report, one of their top trends is “putting plants back in plant-based.” Interestingly, this trend fits with the first one in the Campbell’s report: global cuisine.

Per a Technomic report cited by Campbell’s, 41 percent of consumers eat a vegetarian or vegan dish at least once per week. However, it seems that these same consumers are showing a preference for actual plants.

Most plant-based meat alternatives are processed foods. In fact, some sources designate them “ultra-processed foods.” Today’s consumer is more educated on processed foods and seeks to avoid them.

So, operators should menu more dishes that feature plants. There’s a place for plant-based meat alternatives but their highly processed nature may be putting off a not-insignificant number of consumers.

In their report, Campbell’s suggests offering dishes featuring the following proteins: beans, legumes, and pulses.

Look, trend predictions are guesses. In this case, they’re data-driven and educated, but they’re still guesses. When considering menu changes, operators need to make choices that make sense for their business, guests, and market.

If you’re like me, you’ve noticed that all four of these trends pair well with one another. Operators should encourage their kitchen teams to get creative and craft new dishes that leverage two or more of the above trends.

Image: Aleisha Kalina on Unsplash

Slice of pepperoni pizza on a plate, on top of a table

March 22, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Slice Releases 2024 Report

Indie Pizzeria App Slice Releases 2024 Report

by David Klemt

Still the most popular pizza topping.

It’s finally here, one of our favorite food-forward hospitality industry reports providing operators with valuable insider insights.

In keeping with tradition, Slice released their 2024 Slice of the Union report the day before National Pizza Day. Truly, this is one of the reports I most look forward to each year.

As one would expect, the fifth-annual Slice of the Union is stuffed with helpful information.

Before we dig in, a quick rundown of Slice. The platform serves all 50 states and works with more than 20,000 independent pizzerias. To put that in context, that’s a network of pizzerias in the US larger than Domino’s, Little Caesars, and Pizza Hut combined.

If you’re an independent pizzeria owner and you have yet to partner with Slice, I encourage you to look into doing so. Should a partnership with Slice be feasible, it should increase brand awareness, engagement, traffic, and revenue to a notable degree.

Seasoning

Kicking things off, Slice sprinkles a bit of trivia onto this year’s report.

Last year, consumers apparently gorged themselves on pizza. How much was eaten? Just over 29,000 tons.

Providing context, Slice says to imagine 11,572,064,136 pennies. That’s a Scrooge McDuck dive-worthy pile of coins.

However, one category of pizza experienced a drop in popularity last year. According to Slice, pizzerias saw a 5.21-percent dip in vegan pizza orders.

Now, on to toppings.

Toppings

There’s a reason I chose a photo of a single slice of pepperoni pizza for this article.

Operators who track their data probably already know what I’m about to say: According to Slice, pepperoni is the most popular pizza topping in the US.

This is followed by, in descending order of popularity, mushrooms, sausage, extra cheese, onions, bacon, and black olives. For those wondering, kale was one of the “least-loved” toppings last year.

If you read through the 2023 Slice of the Union report or read our article reviewing it, you know they made a couple of trend predictions. Last year, Slice guessed that pickle pizzas would be in demand. Well, they were right. Orders for pickle pizzas jumped by 32 percent in 2023.

So, when Slice makes a pizza-based prediction, it’s probably in your best interest to take it to heart. Oh, wait—Slice has a prediction for 2024. According to the platform, tinned fish will be a standout pizza topping this year.

Sauce

In case you’re wondering about how much data Slice has at their fingertips, here’s an interesting bit of trivia. Last year, 4,744 people ordered pizzas with anchovies, garlic, or onions on Valentine’s Day. Alrighty, then.

They also know that orders for pizza with pineapple as a topping saw an increase of nearly six percent in 2023.

Further, the 2024 Slice of the Union reveals the most and least “pizzaful” days of 2023. The former? December 1. And the latter? Thanksgiving.

Last year, Fridays accounted for the most orders, at 23.5 percent. However, only 8.7 percent of pizza orders were placed on Mondays.

For data that’s a bit more esoteric, what if Slice could reveal which Zodiac signs order the most and least pizza? Would this be useful to operators? Honestly, it could be, I suppose. Particularly for those who have loyalty programs and engage with their guests via email and text marketing.

Apparently, a Taurus (April 20 to May 20) is the most likely to order pizza. Conversely, Capricorns (December 22 to January 19) either don’t like placing food orders in general or don’t like eating pizza specifically, because they ordered the least amount last year.

By the way, if you happen to operate a pizzeria in New Jersey, you may want to search for a guest named Dominic. According to Slice, someone named Dominic in NJ placed 348 pizza orders in 2023. Sounds like Dom has earned a special perk from his favorite pizza joint.

Extra Cheese

Pizzeria owners and their teams in Hawaii, Alabama, Oregon, South Carolina, and Montana may have the happiest wallets. That’s because people who ordered pizza for delivery in those five states tipped their drivers the most.

However, people who order pizza in Washington may have slightly lighter wallets than their fellow Americans. That’s because while the average price for a large cheese pizza in the US is $18.33, that number jumps to $25.75 in the Evergreen State.

If you’d like to see the average price for a large cheese pizza in each of the 50 states, click here. As an example, the average price in Nevada (KRG Hospitality’s American HQ is in Las Vegas) is $21.09.

Speaking of price, while Dom in NJ placed the most pizza orders, Frances in New York placed the most expensive order last year: $2,867.07. Frances, I want to attend one of your pizza parties (I think).

Finally, let’s end on data that can help operators when reviewing their labor costs. On average, pizza delivery distance was 9.14 miles in 2023. And, on average, pizzerias completed the process of producing an order and delivering it in 42.5 minutes.

For more insights from the 2024 Slice of the Union, click here.

Image: Sydney Troxell on Pexels

March 4, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2024

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2024

by David Klemt

Our inspiring and informative March book selections will help you improve operations, refresh F&B programming, and consider a design update.

This month, we look at books covering an array of topics: overcoming dysfunctions within teams; stepping outside of comfort zones; cocktail and Irish dish recipes; and repurposing existing buildings.

To review the book recommendations from February 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

In a departure from most business books, the author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team presents useful lessons in the style of a fictional tale. This approach makes this book—which has more than 13,000 reviews on Amazon—a compelling read.

From Amazon: “Equal parts leadership fable and business handbook, this definitive source on teamwork by Patrick Lencioni reveals the five behavioral tendencies that go to the heart of why even the best teams struggle. He offers a powerful model and step-by-step guide for overcoming those dysfunctions and getting every one rowing in the same direction.”

Pick up your copy today.

The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook

I doubt you need a reminder but just in case, St. Patrick’s is just two weeks away. So, what better time to pick up this best-selling cookbook featuring Irish classic and modern fare? Flip through this book, check out some interesting recipes, and put your own spin on them so they fit with your concept.

From Amazon: “Pubs in Ireland are the cornerstone of their communities, relaxed places where locals and visitors can experience the best of traditional Irish hospitality. Many pubs have also become the place to go for a great meal, with a choice of both traditional and contemporary dishes. In recent years Irish cooking has been transformed, with skillful cooks making the most of wonderful fresh local produce to create delicious new dishes and giving a twist to many classics. This tasty cookbook includes the best of both worlds – with best-loved favorites s Irish Stew, Corned Beef and Split Pea and Ham Soup and newer recipes, like Scallop Chowder or Oatmeal and Raspberry Cream to set your taste buds tingling.”

Order The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook now!

Drink: Featuring Over 1,100 Cocktail, Wine, and Spirits Recipes

This is a seriously big book. After all, it really does contain more than 1,100 recipes. KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey recently picked up this book and flipped through its many, many pages.

Along with well over a thousand recipes organized by spirit, Drink looks at bar tools, housemade ingredients, and ice. Further, it includes interviews with bartenders. If you’re looking for a recipe book that will inspire a drink menu refresh, this is the one you want.

Grab this tome today.

Cool is Everywhere: New and Adaptive Design Across America

Last month, we dove into the biophilic design methodology. This book, Cool is Everywhere, is a photo-driven look into the adaptive reuse design movement. Very briefly summarized, this is a design movement that focuses on repurposing existing architecture rather than knocking down buildings and putting up new construction. This approach tends to be eco-friendly, and as you’ll see from the photos in this book, it also creates cool buildings.

From Amazon: “Cool Is Everywhere highlights remarkable designs that have transformed ordinary buildings into works of art. From North Adams, Massachusetts, to Oakland, California, join Michel as he explores the skyscrapers and quaint neighborhoods that led him to believe that cool is, in fact, everywhere.”

Pick up this book now.

The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self

This book from author Michael Easter asks a fairly simple question: What if the modern world’s conveniences are making our lives more difficult? When we look deeper into our lives, we may find that our health is being impacted negatively by building and remaining in our comfort zones. Certainly, entrepreneurs can find that refusing to step outside of their comfort is hurting the business side of their lives.

From Amazon: “In many ways, we’re more comfortable than ever before. But could our sheltered, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged lives actually be the leading cause of many our most urgent physical and mental health issues? In this gripping investigation, award-winning journalist Michael Easter seeks out off-the-grid visionaries, disruptive genius researchers, and mind-body conditioning trailblazers who are unlocking the life-enhancing secrets of a counterintuitive solution: discomfort.”

Order it today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

"Think about things differently" neon sign

March 1, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: March 2024

Program for Unique Holidays: March 2024

by David Klemt

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your March holiday promotions.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

Pay attention to the “weird” or unique holidays to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing? Why program only around the same holidays as everyone else?

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, strange or otherwise. Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

You’ll find suggestions for promotions below. However, the idea behind our monthly holiday promotions roundup is to inspire you and your team to get creative and come up with unique programming ideas.

For our February 2024 holidays list, click here.

March 5: Cinco de Marcho

Supposedly, this holiday is meant to “train the livers” of people planning on getting slightly wild on March 17. They have 12 days to get ready to party.

Well, we at KRG Hospitality think this sounds a bit irresponsible. We don’t want any operators or their teams to run into any legal trouble. So, I recommend offering a spin on the Coronarita as a nearly two-week-long LTO.

Build a Margarita with Irish whiskey, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and agave syrup. Serve it in a salt-rimmed pint glass, schooner, or mason jar. Invert a Harp Lager, Smithwick’s Pale Ale, or Guinness Blonde Lager in the glass.

March 7: National Crown Roast of Pork Day

Here’s a fun one based on a culinary classic. Put simply, a crown roast is anywhere from a dozen to nearly two dozen pork rib chops. When arranged in a circle, they look like a crown.

It’s old school, and it’s certainly a shareable dish. Dress this LTO up with a wine pairing, or dress it down with a bucket of beers.

March 8: National Proofreading Day

Your menu is a billboard. It’s a crucial marketing and branding tool. So, it can be embarrassing when there are typos and other issues on your menu.

If you don’t want to proofread it yourself, or you just want to engage your guests, put a “bounty” on misspellings and grammatical errors on your menu. Watch how quickly any mistakes are found, if any exist.

March 14: National Potato Chip Day

Housemade potato chips are among the best appetizers and sides. If your kitchen team is up for it, consider housemade chips as an LTO side. Think about making them a permanent (or semi-permanent) addition to your menu if all goes well.

March 18: National Sloppy Joe Day

So, it’s March 18. Some people may have gotten after it pretty hard for St. Patrick’s Day. They need comfort food.

If your kitchen team can make delicious Sloppy Joe’s from scratch (maybe served with housemade potato chips), they may be just what the doctor ordered.

March 19: National Poultry Day

Does your restaurant or bar serve dishes featuring poultry? Guess what you should do on this day…

March 21: World Vermouth Day

The days of low-quality vermouth are gone. For a few years not at least, people have discovered that premium vermouth makes a great cocktail base. This holds particularly true for low-ABV drinks, like reverse cocktails.

March 22: National Goof Off Day

This year, National Goof Off Day falls on a Friday. Really, that timing couldn’t be much better.

Encourage your guests to set aside their responsibilities—as long as it won’t get them fired—and goof off at your bar.

March 29: Smoke and Mirrors Day

When a cocktail is served with smoke, people take notice. Often times, when one is served, people watching the show want one of their own.

This is the perfect holiday to show off your smoking cocktails. To really embrace the holiday, smoke and serve them in a glass and chrome smoker box. By the way, these boxes work well when it comes to smoking food items, too.

March 31: National Tater Day

Much like poultry day, I bet you can figure out what to do on National Tater Day. Celebrate the potato! Tater tot nachos? Done. Sriracha French fries? Awesome. Fully loaded potato skins and baked potatoes? Classics.

Get creative. The humble potato is a fantastic canvas for enticing dishes.

Image: Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels