July 25, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

With no apologies to Canadian ‘80’s band Loverboy, which gained considerable notoriety with a song that shared the same title as this post, welcome to a pre-weekend edition of E&S Extra.

Usually by the end of the week, my attention span’s dwindled to that of my two-year-old daughter. Thinking that some of you might be in the same boat, I filled this post with shorter, more easy-to-digest pieces of information, some of which pertain to foodservice and others that are, shall we say, more whimsical in nature. With that in mind, here are a few thought nuggets for you to chew on as we head into the weekend.

NRA Energy Efficiency Webcast Follow-Up and Link
Yesterday, the National Restaurant Association hosted its webinar entitled “5 Things ...Read More

July 22, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

The National Restaurant Association will host “Five Things Operators Need to Know About Energy Efficiency” at 2 p.m. (Eastern) this coming Thursday. You can register for this online event by clicking here.
 
If your schedule permits, I encourage you to participate in this webcast covering one of the most talked about topics in our industry. Operating in a more environmentally friendly manner, specifically conserving energy, has become more than the soci...Read More

July 22, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

As more operators, commercial and non-commercial alike, continue to embrace the notion of sustainable foodservice, they seem to do so with an emphasis on the ingredients they use. And much like the morning glories that continue to grow rampantly in my backyard, the movement seems to show no signs of slowing down.

The notion of bringing the farm to the restaurant table by having the foodservice operator source locally, or regionally, grown, seasonal ingredients is a pretty good one. I like it because it seems to me as if changing ingredients with the seasons challenges operators to keep their menus fresh, which should spur further creativity and keep consumers like myself engaged.

As refreshing as this seemingly new-found emphasis on ingredients and their sourcing may be to all of us, it does not take the emphasis off some of the most fundamental aspects of operatin...Read More

July 15, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

The challenging economy has spurred all sorts of businesses to adapt to the changing environment and the foodservice industry is no exception. Here are two notable examples that caught my eye this week.

Checkers
Checkers Drive-In Restaurants announced it was developing new formats, including end-cap and in-line options, to add flexibility for franchisees. The design of the in-line unit allows for placement anywhere in a shopping mall, which would include seating but not necessarily a drive-thru.

This represents a tremendous development for the burger chain known for its iconic dual drive-thru concept. It will be interesting to see how this plays out for Checkers as it places them into a new world from an operational perspec...Read More

July 9, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

This October, Foodservice Equipment & Supplies will showcase the fashion sense of foodservice. No, we’re not going to solicit photos of the best-dressed operators, dealers, consultants or service agents. But what we show will represent some of the best-dressed tabletops in the foodservice industry as selected by our panel of independent judges.

These facilities we highlight will be the winners of our 2008 Tabletop Performance Awards. The operators of these facilities will have worked with their partners in the distribution channel to create a tabletop that sets the tone for diners upon their sitting down to enjoy a carefully and expertly crafted meal.

Being somewhat challenged when it comes to my own personal fashion sense, this competition really intrigues and never ceases to impress me. I ...Read More