FABI Winners and Viena Makes U.S. Debut in Miami
19 Min Read By MRM Staff
The TGIF edition of MRM’s Daily Bite has news from the National Restaurant Association, The Boelter Companies, Inc., TripAdvisor, Viena, Ardent Mills, Perdue Foodservice, Pacific World Partners and NOSHtrekker and Custom Business Solutions.
Send news items to Barbara Castiglia at bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com.
2018 Food and Beverage (FABI) Awards
The National Restaurant Association® announced the recipients of the 2018 Food and Beverage (FABI) Awards, recognizing food and beverage products that stand out for taste, creativity and profit potential and will make a substantial impact in the restaurant industry. Each award recipient and their product will be highlighted throughout the exhibit halls at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show®, May 19-22 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
This year’s 36 FABI Award recipients were selected by an independent panel of experts and represent a variety of both commercial and non-commercial industry segments.
“The FABI Awards showcase the visionary companies helping chefs and foodservice operators innovate and drive guest satisfaction,” says Dickie Brennan, Convention Chairman for NRA Show 2018 and owner/managing partner of Dickie Brennan & Company, whose restaurant group includes Tableau, Palace Café, Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, and Bourbon House. “The FABI Award recipients provide opportunities for operators to meet consumer demand with cost-effective solutions. This list of award recipients serves as a guide of the must-see food and beverage exhibitors at NRA Show 2018.”
In addition to visiting FABI Award recipient booths, NRA Show attendees will be able to sample the products at FABI Awardee Tasting events held in Foodamental Studio on Monday, May 21. New this year, the tasting events will feature several companies at a time to give maximum exposure to each recipient and greater opportunities for attendees to taste the award-worthy products.
The 2018 FABI Award recipients include:
Atalanta Corporation
Caffè Vergnano Compostable Espresso Capsules
Èspresso 1882 compostable capsules combine all of Caffè Vergnano’s hallmark quality with a perfect green solution and compatibility with Nespresso machines. The box and wrapper have been re-developed to adapt to eco-sustainable recycling standards, still providing a supreme espresso and reduced guilt.
Atalanta Corporation
MENU Dorati
Semi-dried Italian cherry tomatoes packed with fresh basil and sunflower oil easily enhance a variety of hot or cold dishes. Their stunning appearance and fresh flavor work across diverse foodservice areas. They add authentic Italian taste to any dish.
Atalanta Corporation
MENU Shakshuka
Atalanta’s Shakshuka sauce gives restaurants the flexibility to capitalize on the Mediterranean food craze with a balanced sauce that can be used to make shakshuka, the traditional Israeli egg dish, or to invent your own entrées. Created in Italy, this small-batch kettle-cooked sauce uses only the freshest ingredients to add a flavorful international flare.
BCGA Concept Corporation
Brooklyn Crafted™ Mini
Unlike many competing products, Brooklyn Crafted™ Mini Ginger Beer is made with 100 percent real, unfiltered ginger pieces. The 7 oz. mini bottles are perfect on their own or incorporated into cocktails. Made with no artificial ingredients—no high-fructose corn syrup here—and no preservatives, it provides all the health benefits of ginger. Flavor profiles include Traditional, Earl Grey, Lemon & Lime and Mango.
Belvoir Fruit Farms
Organic Elderflower and Rose Lemonade
The delicate scent of elderflowers, grown on Belvoir’s own farms and hand-picked at the height of spring, combines with the heady floral taste of real rose petals for a deliciously perfumed sparkling drink that stands on its own and also makes the perfect base for unique summer cocktails and mocktails. Belvoir organic sparkling lemonades always blend the freshest flowers, 100 percent real pressed fruit juice and lightly sparkling water.
Beyond Meat®
Beyond SausageTM
Beyond SausageTM satisfies carnivores’ craving for a great tasting, better-for-you protein option while meeting the needs of vegetarians and vegans alike. Offering the juicy, meaty deliciousness of a traditional sausage in three flavors—Original Bratwurst, Sweet Italian and Hot Italian—the texture and flavor profile allow you to substitute it in just about any recipe that uses pork sausage and still deliver the sizzle your diners crave.
Bridor
Simply Baguette
Made with traditional high-quality ingredients, including a levain developed by artisan bakers, this new baguette is slightly tangy and demonstrates excellent craftsmanship. Diners will appreciate its simple list of plain ingredients—only flour, water, yeast, levain, salt and malt. A truly outstanding baguette boasting a crisp, thin crust and airy crumb.
Brooklyn Delhi
Roasted Garlic Achaar
Inspired by the timeless culinary traditions of India, Brooklyn Delhi’s roasted garlic achaar adds a new and exciting flavor to everyday meals and menus. This versatile and addictive condiment boasts a complex and unique flavor profile enhanced by the nuttiness of roasted garlic, Indian spices, lemon and sugar. At once savory, spicy, sour and a tad sweet, it can be added to any number of dishes to boost flavor and add international excitement.
Brooklyn Delhi
Tomato Achaar
This artisanal, Indian-inspired chutney and spread is made from locally grown tomatoes, tamarind, Indian spices and red chili powder. Its unique combination of savory, spicy and tangy flavors adds complexity that outdoes harissa, ketchup or salsa in any recipe. Versatile and richly textured, this tomato achaar can transform any dish into something extraordinary.
Earnest Eats
PRO: Protein + Probiotic Oatmeal
The world’s first high-protein superfood oatmeal boasts more than 15 grams of grass-fed whey that works with one billion heat-activated probiotics to increase protein utilization and enhance gut digestion. Its blend of quinoa, oats and amaranth will appeal to consumers looking for the benefits of superfoods. Restaurant operators will appreciate the ease of preparation.
Gator Pears
Guacamole Mild 100/1.27 oz. portion packs
The 1.27 oz. portion easy-to-open pack allows operators to offer on-demand flavor throughout the day. Made with 100 percent Mexican Hass avocados, Gator Pears Guacamole gives the operator year-round consistency and ripeness. Its intense, fresh flavor is delicious, and the convenient portion size has industry potential from concessions to fast food to table service.
Grecian Delight Foods
Falafel Fritters
Grecian Delight’s new Falafel Fritters provide operators a trendy and versatile authentic Mediterranean street food and plant-based protein. Quick and easy to prepare, they can be used across a number of dayparts and menu applications from sides and snacks to sandwiches, salads and platters to even breakfast. Falafel Fritters are clean label, vegan and kosher.
Grecian Delight Foods
Garlic Sauce
This authentic Middle Eastern sauce and dip is one of the official accompaniments to Shawarma. Made with labna (strained Lebanese yogurt), its rich texture and robust garlic flavor offer endless versatility, whether as a topping for meats, a delicious sandwich spread, a craveable dip for fries or vegetables or something of chef’s own invention.
Impossible Foods
Impossible™ Burger
This plant-based burger is made from simple, natural ingredients including water, wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein and the “magic” ingredient, heme. With the rich, decadent taste of beef, it satisfies carnivores while at the same time appealing to vegans because of its plant-based proteins. The Impossible Burger performs like beef and can be used as a creative substitute to appeal to all diners.
Kronos Foods Corp.
KronoBROIL® Gyros Slices
KronoBROIL® eliminates the need to invest in a vertical broiler in order to serve authentic gyros. Slices are created by a revolutionary manufacturing process that flame-broils and carves a colossal gyros cone replicating the taste, texture and hand-carved appearance of old world gyros. The result is a high-quality, delicious easy-to-use and versatile product from an industry leader.
La Colombe®
Draft Latte™
This revolutionary cold coffee beverage delivers a unique, café-style drinking experience. The InnoValve™ can, a patent-pending process, enhances the ready-to-drink Draft Latte with the foam traditionally found in a hot latte for a quality, on-the-go treat.
Love Beets
Beet Salsa
Love Beets’ Beet Salsa creates its own niche in the crowded salsa market with this versatile, ready-to-eat product. Love Beets’ Sweet Chili beets are combined with fresh green peppers, onion, jalapeño and cilantro for a light, spicy salsa with a unique balance of sweetness. Healthy, trendy and convenient, Beet Salsa can be used in myriad dishes or on its own with no need to cook and peel the beets or make homemade salsa.
Mama La’s Kitchen
Beef & Chicken Pho Concentrates
Add water, noodles, vegetables and meat to make authentic Pho and capitalize on the health and wellness trend. USDA-approved bones are cooked for more than 15 hours, reducing the broth to a rich concentrate that is frozen and sealed.
Natalie’s Juice
Matcha Lemonade
Bartenders and mixologists looking for exotic ingredients and healthy lemonade alternatives will like this authentically clean juice. Made from only four minimally processed ingredients—water, Florida pure cane sugar, lemons and brewed matcha—it is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.
Nona Lim
Shiitake Beef Bone Broth
Nona Lim Shiitake Beef Bone Broth is a delicious clean label bone broth packaged in a 10 oz. heat-and-sip cup. Simmered for more than 30 hours, the grass-fed, organic beef bone stock is spiced perfectly with shiitake mushrooms and ginger. Nona Lim Shiitake Beef Bone Broth makes a healthy, attractive addition to meals with all the benefits and superior flavor of on-trend slow food.
PepsiCo Foodservice
Naked Bars
The new Naked Bars are a game-changing line of chilled fruit, nut and veggie bars packed with high-quality ingredients, including real fruits and vegetables you can see. Offering the convenient nutrition and delicious taste for which Naked is known, the bars contain no preservatives, are excellent sources of vitamins A, C, E and iron and are verified by the Non-GMO Project.
Pete’s Living Greens
Salicornia or “Sea Beans”
Sea bean enthusiasts love the normally foraged green—related to amaranth—for its signature crunch, intensely salty sea flavor and grassy asparagus aftertaste. Pete’s Living Greens has developed hydroponically greenhouse grown sea beans with roots attached for extended freshness and quality, bringing this coastal farmer’s market delicacy to restaurants everywhere.
Sabatino Tartufi
Truffle Soy Sauce
This truly unique take on traditional soy sauce adds the luxurious taste of truffles for a heightened umami experience. Truffle soy sauce can transform a traditional dish into something a bit more interesting, creating new flavor profiles for rice, sushi, dumplings, edamame, marinades and more.
Seascape Foods
French Fried Butter Beans
The ever-popular butter bean meets the best-loved french fry. Huge butter beans, battered and fried make for a crunchy, protein-packed alternative to french fries. A perfect addition to meals, French Fried Butter Beans also make a healthier alternative side dish.
Seascape Foods
Fresh Vegetable Falafel
This product adds vegetables to the traditional chickpea falafel recipe to arrive at an authentic-tasting, moist product that needs no sauce. Appealing to the falafel aficionado or a newbie, these frozen falafels are quick to prepare and pack nutritional punch.
Smart Flour FoodsTM
Gluten Free Hoagie Roll
Smart Flour Foods™ offers a sandwich roll made with Smart Flour, delivering a high quality, premium eating experience intended for both hot and cold applications. They are pre-sliced, shipped frozen and have a seven-day ambient shelf life.
SomPriya Fine Spirits, LLC
SomruS Original
The world’s most awarded cream liqueur blends handcrafted rum with cardamom, saffron, almond, pistachio and rose for an exotic tasting spirit. An Indian-inspired liqueur named for the elusive “nectar of the gods,” SomruS Original shines on its own, mixed in a beverage, baked into dessert or even added to a cup of tea for a decadent hard chai latte.
Sud’n’Sol
Pepper Spread
With ingredients sourced from the Mediterranean region, this delicious pepper spread stands out for its 100 percent clean label ingredients and bright, homemade taste. Its smooth, colorful and addictive blend of roasted red peppers and Mediterranean spices will add distinction to many dishes, from soups, sauces, dips and spreads.
Sud’n’Sol
Tomato Spread
Made from Sud’n’Sol’s own roasted red tomatoes, this spread captures the flavors of the Mediterranean in a smooth, all-natural spread, dip, sauce or even soup base. Delivered ready to serve and easy to use, it adds a fresh homemade taste to any number of dishes.
Sweet Street
Manifesto® Gluten-Free Brownie, individually wrapped
Made with dark Honduran chocolate sourced from a women’s cocoa collective, a proprietary own gluten-free flour mix, and cage-free eggs, this fudgy brownie tastes divine. Even better, diners will love that it supports the advancement of the farmers, their families and their village.
The Eli’s Cheesecake Company
Florentine Honey Almond Bar
Handmade in small batches, this decadent, chef-created bar combines sliced almonds drenched in a housemade honey glaze and Eli’s signature all-butter shortbread cookie crust. Eli’s honey is harvested by students from The Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences. Proceeds from honey sales fund college scholarships for deserving high school seniors.
Venice Bakery
Gluten-Free Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust
This slightly chewy, fluffy ready-to-cook pizza crust is a healthy alternative base for the ever-popular pizza. One 10” crust packs 26g of protein and only 3g of net carbs per serving, appealing to consumer demand for high protein foods without sacrificing flavor.
Venice Bakery
Plant Based Gluten-Free Crusts (Broccoli Cheddar and Seasoned Cauliflower)
Taking vegetable-based pizza crusts to the next level, Venice Bakery has brought two tasty additions to the market: A broccoli and cheese crust that evokes fried cheese, with subtle notes of broccoli and cracked black pepper, and a seasoned cauliflower crust with a crispy, lightly cheesy, satisfying bite.
Wagshal’s Imports
Minioliva™
Exclusively from Alcalá Oliva™, the family-run Spanish olive oil company, this elegant olive-shaped package adds to the market a unique dripless single-serving package that is easier to open than a small bottle. Customers will appreciate the variety of flavors and remember the distinctive experience.
Weston Foods Foodservice
ACE Bakery® Mini Schiacciatas
ACE Bakery® Mini Schiacciatas are premium Tuscan flatbreads. One-inch thick and pre-sliced, they can become operators’ new sandwich workhorse, and are versatile enough to double as the foundation for an authentic flatbread, an open-face sandwich or even a folded taco.
Wild Flour Bakery
Gourmet Gluten-Free Cookie Dough
This gluten-free frozen cookie dough can be baked into cookies and desserts that are soft-baked or crisp. By altering the add-ins, spices or technique, chefs can easily make dozens of homemade desserts whose taste and texture diners will love.
The FABI Award recipients are chosen by an independent panel of expert judges. They come from across foodservice and represent some of the industry’s most well-known brands and organizations. The 2018 FABI judges are:
- Timothy J. Dietzler, Director of Dining Services, Villanova University
- Lori Estrada, Senior Vice President of R&D, Wendy’s
- Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, HAAC, Vice President, Category Management, Culinary Art, The School of Culinary Arts, Kendall College
- John Li, Group Vice President, Bloomin’ Brands
- Robin Rosenberg, Vice President, Chef de Cuisine, Levy Restaurants
- Lee Ann Shaw, Global Procurement Director, Hot Beverages and Snacks, Aramark
- Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor, Nation’s Restaurant News; Senior Food Editor, Restaurant Hospitality
Jackson Joins NRA Leadership
The National Restaurant Association appointed Roy Jackson as Executive Vice President of Development and Industry Relations. Jackson recently retired after more than 20 years in various leadership positions at the Coca-Cola Company. In this new role, he will be focused on leading several Industry Alliances, strategic development for the Association, and Membership growth. Jackson and his team will work on behalf of the Association’s members to advance the priorities of the restaurant industry.
“We are excited to have Roy lead the Membership and Industry Relations teams at the National Restaurant Association,” said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Roy’s strong relationships and deep expertise in strategic account management will help to take the National Restaurant Association to the next level.”
“Roy brings to our team such diverse and insightful experiences and engagement with the foodservice industry, we know he will add further momentum to the transformative changes we’ve already begun to deliver,” added Terry Erdle, Chief Operating Officer of the National Restaurant Association.
Prior to joining the National Restaurant Association, Jackson served as Senior Vice President, Business Development & Industry Affairs for Coca-Cola North America, Foodservice and On-Premise Division. Previous engagements with Coca-Cola include roles as Central Zone Vice President and General Manager for 21 states in the Central United States. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance (MFHA), and is a Trustee of Union College in Schenectady, NY.
Jackson commented, “I am honored to be joining our industry’s most critical organization and to be part of such an accomplished team. It’s a privilege to help advance the causes and continue to support the Industry I have so thoroughly enjoyed and am grateful to be part of for the past 30 years. Leading on Industry related issues has been my passion throughout my career at The Coca-Cola Company and through various Industry associations. I am excited to contribute further with the National Restaurant Association.”
Boelter Blue Mobile App Launch
The Boelter Companies, Inc., launched Boelter Blue, a custom mobile app that simplifies restaurant marketing. The affordable app, designed to help independent restaurants drive customer engagement and traffic, builds on mobile application technology Boelter gained when it acquired Anchor 5 Digital last year.
“We’re not just providing our customers digital marketing technology, but also decades of Boelter foodservice expertise,” said Eric Boelter, president of the Boelter Companies. “With Boelter Blue, we’ve made it easy for restaurants to reach and engage customers so they can focus on what they do best – preparing great food and entertaining guests.”
Boelter Blue customizes and sets up each restaurant’s app. Then with just a few clicks, Boelter Blue customers can pre-set or send on-the-go messages and photos directly to customers’ phones and connect customers to existing online services including reservations, menus, ordering, delivery, and loyalty programs. The app includes an easy-to-navigate dashboard so restaurants can measure real time results and trends to see how they’re doing.
“What sets this apart is our service extends well beyond launching the app,” said Dan Holen, co-founder, Boelter Blue. “To help our customers stay top-of-mind, it’s important we help them deliver the right marketing content, at the right time, to further entice customers through the doors.”
According to the National Restaurant Association, nearly a third of consumers say technology influences their decision on where to dine out or order delivery/take-out. It’s certainly made a difference for some of Boelter Blue’s initial users.
For Champps Americana in Brookfield, Wisconsin, “The Boelter Blue app, along with the service and support Boelter provides, is one of the best marketing decisions we have ever made,” said General Manager Rob Rajala. “We can reach more than 1,600 of our best customers any time directly through their mobile device, allowing us to drive business when needed and speak directly to the people who want to hear from us most.”
Ryan Stenstrup, owner of Steny’s Tavern and Grill in Milwaukee’s historic Walker’s Point neighborhood, added, “One in three people share they came in for a special or hard-to-find tap beer after receiving a push notification. Our trivia night has seen a 20 percent increase over last year since we started using the app to promote the event. And, our regular lunch crowd consistently tells us they prefer the app for rewards redemption over a paper punch card.”
TripAdvisor Unveils Diner Activity Feed
TripAdvisor unveiled Diner Activity Feed for registered, high-traffic restaurant owners.
Available on both desktop and mobile web, Diner Activity Feed provides restauranteurs with a centralized location to quickly and easily view interactions that diners have with their listing in real-time. Activities showcased in the feed include confirmed reservations, menu clicks, phone calls, website clicks, new reviews, restaurant ranking changes, along with views of ads and other subscription features such as Storyboard and Top 3 Reasons to Eat Here.
Viena Makes U.S. Debut
Viena, a restaurant chain in Brazil with nearly 80 locations throughout the country, top photo, debuted its first U.S. location with a grand opening celebration at Miami International Airport (MIA). Airport.
“Congratulations to the MIA team and IMCMV for bringing this popular Brazilian brand to MIA,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “Miami-Dade County welcomes their expansion into our community, and we are proud to have their very first Viena restaurant in the U.S.”
The nearly 10,000-square-foot location on the top floor of the MIA Hotel, located pre-security at the center of MIA, provides a farm-to-table concept featuring European and Brazilian cuisine – including Bolinho de Bacalau (salt cod fritters), Pão de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) and the Caipirinha, Brazil’snational cocktail. A variety of meat, fish and pasta dishes, as well as salads, sandwiches and wood-fired flatbreads, are also available.
Viena is now the largest pre-security restaurant at MIA, as well as its first Brazilian-themed dining option. MIA has more flights to Brazil than any other U.S. airport, and Brazil is the airport’s busiest international market.
Viena is operated by IMCMV Holdings, a U.S. subsidiary of the Brazil-based International Meal Company Alimentação S.A., which owns and operates Margaritaville and Land Shark Bar & Grill destination restaurants throughout the United States, Brazil and Panama. IMC also owns over 200 coffee shops and casual and quick-service restaurants in Brazil, Panama, Colombia and United States.
“The opening of Viena adds even more diversity to the award-winning concession program at MIA,” said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Lester Sola. “Thanks to Viena, our Brazilian passengers – or those who just want to get a taste of their culture – can now enjoy Brazilian cuisine without leaving the airport.”
Replacing the “Top of the Port” restaurant previously located on the seventh floor of the MIA Hotel, Viena has capacity for 250 guests. A full-service center bar hosts a daily happy hour and large-screen TVs for watching sporting events. The restaurant also offers guests free Wi-Fi and electronic charging stations.
“We are excited to partner with MIA to open the first Viena restaurant location in the United States,” said President and CEO of IMC-USA David Crabtree. “I am confident that our culinary concept, combined with the location’s stunning views of the airfield and the fact that Brazil is one of MIA’s top international market, will help make our U.S. expansion as successful as possible.”
Ardent Mills Launches Annex
Ardent Mills launched a new business unit, The Annex by Ardent Mills, dedicated to exploring and providing food companies and foodservice operators with “next” grains and unique plant-based ingredients. It operates as a company-within-a-company, cultivating deep and lasting ties with farmers, university and private research teams, customers, and key vendors to identify, source, grow and pioneer everything from organic and heirloom grains to leading-edge ingredients.
The Annex offers a growing portfolio that includes heirloom wheats – emmer, einkorn, spelt, White Sonora; rye; barley; pulses; and ancient grains including Ardent Mills Great Plains Quinoa®, amaranth, millet, buckwheat, teff and sorghum. These ingredients are available in a variety of traditional forms like whole berries, flours and flakes as well as unique formats, including mixes, blends, IQF (individual quick frozen) and crisps. The Annex is also open to custom grain and ingredient programs which include exclusive cultivation of select grains that are not in commercial production.
“An annex is independent yet is part of something bigger,” said The Annex by Ardent Mills General Manager Shrene White. “We’re excited to be empowered by Ardent Mills to be idea cultivators and solution providers. The Annex will support Ardent Mills traditional flour customers and a wide spectrum of new customers by offering a one-of-a-kind product portfolio. We love a challenge. And we bring to our work an earnest desire to collaborate with customers, farmers, universities and researchers, supporting their innovation and cultivating ideas to help build their businesses, whether it’s in fresh or packaged prepared foods, bakery or beverage.”
The Annex is backed by The Ardent Mills Advantage, a robust network of services, resources and experts that includes everything from R&D, production and culinary support to consumer insights, and risk management. Innovative Bakery Resources (IBR), another business unit of Ardent Mills, along with its Arlington, Ore. mix facility, are now integrated into The Annex by Ardent Mills. IBR is a state-of-the-art artisan bakery, where cutting-edge concepts and high-touch craftsmanship come together to help customers quickly take their ideas to market.
“We’re excited about the possibilities The Annex opens up,” added Ardent Mills CEO Dan Dye, “It’s a big step based on a simple, powerful idea: good food matters to everyone, and it should be available to everyone. We look forward to working closely with our partners big and small as we dream together about where that idea is headed next.”
Perdue Farms Wins Animal Welfare Benchmark
In its first appearance in the global Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW), Perdue Farms achieved the second highest of six levels. That level recognized companies that made animal welfare integral to their business strategies, and placed Perdue Farms among the top 15 percent of more than 100 global food companies. Perdue was one of only three US poultry or meat companies to achieve Tier 2 or higher. The ranking covers the company’s welfare practices and policies for chickens, turkeys and hogs across all its brands.
“We’ve been working very hard the last few years to improve the conditions under which our animals are raised,” said Jim Perdue, Chairman of Perdue Farms. “The Business Benchmark aligns with our vision to be the most-trusted name in premium protein, and provides independent, third-party recognition of our progress. We share a common goal in improving farm animal welfare.”
The BBFAW 2017 report assesses 110 global food companies on their quality of management and disclosure of farm animal welfare. The Business Benchmark was established in 2012 and is considered the first global measure of company performance on animal welfare. BBFAW reserves the top-two tiers for companies that demonstrate strong commitments to farm animal welfare and have established management systems and processes.
In 2016, Perdue announced its groundbreaking “Commitments to Animal Care,” a comprehensive program to accelerate advancements in how it raises chickens, including increased activity, the study of higher welfare breeds and moving to controlled atmosphere stunning. The company followed up a year later with its second annual global animal care summit and the release of a progress report and goals. Perdue has lead the way in no-antibiotics-ever practices in the United States and does not use close-confinement crates in any of its programs. These were all factors contributing to the company’s BBFAW ranking.
Sirved Extends Reach
Sirved, the world’s first menu-based search engine, is working with ADS Publishing to bring its new app to travelers in 385 partner hotels across Ontario. Sirved lets you search every menu from every restaurant, wherever you are or expect to be — filtered by craving, dish, or dietary restrictions like gluten-free or vegetarian.
“With our official launch in Canada, we want to make sure we are doing everything possible to support our restaurant partners,” said Kyle Brown, Co-founder, Sirved. “ADS Publishing allows us to extend our reach directly to the consumers restaurants want to reach — specifically, travelers. With more than 33 million hotel guests annually across Canada and 72 percent of those eating outside the hotel, Sirved makes discovering new restaurants quick and simple.”
Sirved provides restaurants with flexible alternatives to meet any budget and business need including free and paid subscriptions as well as basic and advanced analytics on restaurant trends, competitive landscape and consumer behavior.
“Sirved is the most comprehensive discovery app ever created for restaurants and their customers,” said Jonathan Leslie, Co-founder, Sirved. “The concept behind ADS Publishing’s innovative mobile hotel guest directory aligns perfectly with the simplicity and reach of our new app.”
ADS Publishing’s technology makes it easy for travelers to take the information found in a hotel’s print directory with them on their smart-phone as they explore a new city. For Sirved, whose ads appear in 385 hotels across Ontario, this means guests can quickly and simply download the Sirved app while out exploring whenever they are ready to find a restaurant.
“Sirved is on the leading edge of the next big thing in the hospitality industry,” said Michael Simon, General Manager, ADS Marketing. “With more than 100,000 menus readily searchable via the Sirved app and the majority of hotel guests eating outside the hotel, together we are well positioned to transform traditional hotel marketing by connecting travelers with local restaurants in a non-traditional way.”
Pacific World Partners with NOSHtrekker
Pacific World is partnering with NOSHtrekker, a cultural food experience company that connects cultures and people through local cuisine and storytelling. With the partnership, Pacific World and NOSHtrekker will offer exclusively designed itineraries for incentives and events that will feature the most unique destination experiences to fully engage and captivate guests.
As creative experts at the forefront of global event planning, Pacific World strives for emotional engagement when choosing venues and creating experiences in order to drive more successful outcomes and has consistently curated new locations and world-class events that deliver exceptional results.
“Pacific World and NOSHtrekker share a common vision to give people a fresh perspective of a destination, one that creates emotional and long-lasting connections through meaningful moments,” said Selina Chavry, Global Managing Director at Pacific World. “Our partnership with NOSHtrekker creates a wholly unique product for incentives and events to discover a place through the eyes and tastes of locals.”
“Our clients are craving unique, immersive experiences where they can engage with the destination’s culture and traditions. We align the location and experience with our client’s goals – and devise events that engage attendees on many levels, creating an unforgettable experience of a lifetime that bonds the guests,” added Selina.
“We are changing the way people travel by creating memories based on connecting cultures through delicious, authentic food prepared and served by locals with a story to tell,” Tahnya Butterfield, co-founder and Chief Experience Designer at NOSHtrekker. “Our curated food expereinces are rich in quality and culture, and offer an intimate look into the lives of the people who make a country. We appreciate Pacific World’s passion for creating meaningful and captivating expereinces – and think this is the perfect partnership.”
Founded in 2015 and currently available in Singapore and New South Wales, Australia, NOSHtrekker creates unique and authentic food memories in the homes of locals – NOSH Hosts. The homes are destinations in themselves, offering an intimate look into the local culture through delicious home-cooked food and engaging storytelling.
The new partnership brings Pacific World and NOSHtrekker together to develop unique itineraries for events and incentives that focus on four areas of interest: heritage, arts, culture and wellness. Participants will immerse themselves in topics like culture, architecture, or sustainability, meet locals with interesting stories to tell and taste food that helps to tell the story. Pacific World and NOSHtrekker will work closely with groups to design a curated experience that is tailored to the specific needs of travellers, and participants of meetings and conventions.
Custom Business Solutions Connects Cruise Restaurants
In its fourth partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.’s ships, Custom Business Solutions plans to provide its NorthStar cloud-based point of sale software for Food Republic and The District Brewhouse aboard the new Norwegian Bliss.
Custom-built for the ultimate cruising experience, Norwegian Bliss will boast an array of exhilarating activities, delectable dining options and show stopping performances. The line’s sixteenth ship will sail weekly seven-day Alaska cruises during her inaugural summer 2018 season and, beginning in November, Norwegian Bliss will trade in Alaska’s scenery for Caribbean sunsets as she sails seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises each Saturday from Port Miami.
The District Brewhouse and Food Republic will be equipped with the robust cloud-based NorthStar Order Entry System. In Food Republic, guests will be able to manage their dining experience by ordering directly from encased iPads on the table. Restaurant staff will also use iPads equipped with NorthStar for order processing.
For this installation, Custom Business Solutions designed an innovative new iPad case that utilizes RFID technology to allow guests to tap their stateroom key cards to pay their check. The District Brewhouse will offer up to 50 different bottled beers and 24 draft beers on tap. The District Brewhouse will also serve craft cocktails, masterminded by the internationally recognized Bar Lab mixologists. Food Republic will allow guests to savor a fusion of food and cultures from around the globe. With fusions ranging from Peru, Japan and China, guests can travel the world without ever leaving the ship.
“We are proud to partner with Norwegian in our third technology project. Norwegian Bliss takes the cruise experience to a whole new level, and NorthStar fits the innovation that is showcased throughout the ship,” said Art Julian, founder and CEO of Custom Business Solutions. “We look forward to our continued technology collaboration with Norwegian.”
Developed for the restaurant industry seven years ago, the NorthStar point of sale system is the hospitality industry’s first omnichannel cloud-based system offering ordering capabilities for point-of-sale, online, mobile and kiosk scenarios. NorthStar empowers guests to self-order and pay at their own pace, and is used by full-service, fast-casual restaurants and anywhere food is enjoyed.