MRM News Bites: #CulinaryVoice Scholarship, Indie Recipe Contest and Kilo Charlie Debuts

Each week, Modern Restaurant Management magazine compiles restaurant industry headlines in MRM News Bites. This week, we feature a scholarship challenge, recipe contest and new products. Send items of interest to Executive Editor Barbara Castiglia at bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com.

#CulinaryVoice Scholarship

The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) launched the 2017 #CulinaryVoice Scholarship Challenge. Following 1.1 million worldwide votes and the record success of the 2015 #CulinaryVoice Scholarship Challenge, ICE is now granting even more scholarships—this time 18 scholarships totaling more than $212,000—in its search for the next generation of culinary talent.

For 2017’s challenge, ICE partnered with  Marcus Samuelsson, Ted Allen, Donatella Arpaia and Duff Goldman to challenge the nation to enter and win a scholarship to attend ICE. A worldwide public vote will determine the finalists, and the winners will be chosen by an exclusive panel of ICE instructors.

“What started out as a creative way to award scholarships became a viral sensation last time we ran the challenge. This time, we’ve taken things to a whole new level with even more scholarships and the industry behind us,” said Rick Smilow, ICE’s president and CEO. “At ICE, our mission is to enable the creative light within each individual, empowering them to find rewarding careers in the culinary and hospitality industries. We’ve helped more than 13,000 alumni find their culinary and hospitality voices, and with the nation’s help, we hope to change the lives of 18 more people, meet thousands of others and have some fun in the process.”

Entrants upload an original one-minute video to ice.edu/CulinaryVoice demonstrating their creativity, their passion for food or service or their entrepreneurial flair. In the video, contestants should explain who they are, who or what inspires them and what they hope to achieve in the culinary or hospitality industries. Entrants should tell the world why they deserve one of 18 scholarships and the chance to study at ICE.

“ICE has become so much more than just a culinary school. Their programs, their facility, their creativity and their entrepreneurial approach really help develop and nurture young talent in this industry,” said Donatella Arpaia, celebrity chef and restaurateur behind Prova Pizzabar. “I hope the next generation of culinary and hospitality hopefuls take advantage of the opportunity this challenge offers and enters, so they too can study at such an amazing place.”

The top 50 #CulinaryVoice Scholarship Challenge finalists in each category will be determined by public vote, and for every vote, ICE will make a donation to Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) to fund even more scholarships.  One full scholarship and two partial scholarships will be awarded for each of ICE’s six award-winning career training programs: Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Culinary & Restaurant Management, Hospitality Management, Bread Baking and Cake Decorating.

Important Dates:

January 4: Entries Open

January 18: Voting Begins (new entries are still accepted during voting)

February 15: Entries and Voting Close

February 23: Winners announced

“Access to education is extremely important to me, especially in the culinary arts, so I am thrilled to partner with the Institute of Culinary Education on this scholarship challenge,” said Ted Allen, host of Food Network’s Chopped. “I’m looking forward to seeing the creativity of the entrants and hope to see 18 deserving lives changed through culinary education in the process.”

For more information and to enter the challenge, visit ice.edu/culinaryvoice

Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest

Independent family or “neighborhood” restaurants once again have the chance to win a $50,000 grand prize in the 3rd annual Neighborhood to Nation™ Recipe Contest from General Mills Foodservice  In addition, celebrity chef Amanda Freitag of Food Network’s “Chopped” returns to help judge and host the recipe contest that gives independent restaurants the opportunity to get national recognition for their one-of-a-kind dishes.

General Mills Foodservice created the Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest to celebrate this distinct segment that doesn’t often get a lot of recognition. The contest is open to foodservice operators, chefs and line cooks who develop and prepare recipes for menu items served at independent, commercial restaurants.

“Independent restaurant operators are truly unsung heroes. By serving food we love to eat in a welcoming environment, their restaurants are often the backdrop for many of life’s important moments and serve as a special gathering place in our communities,” said Alyca Judge, senior marketing manager for General Mills Foodservice. “The Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest showcases the local dishes that these smaller, independent and often family-operated establishments serve up every day as well as the important role these restaurants play in their community.”

To participate in the Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest, entrants need to submit an original recipe using at least one ingredient from General Mills’ list of eligible products. Three recipe winners will be named, one for each category (breakfast, entrée or dessert), along with three honorable mentions. The Grand Prize Recipe Winner will receive $40,000 in cash, a $10,000 donation for a local charity of their choice and a visit to their restaurant from Freitag.

The First Place Recipe Winner will collect $15,000 and the Second Place Recipe Winner will receive $10,000. In addition to the opportunity to share their news and celebrate their recipe with their local community, the three winners travel to General Mills’ headquarters in Minneapolis in June to meet with Freitag for a day of celebration, inspiration and the official Grand Prize winner announcement.  In addition, three honorable mentions will be awarded $1,000: $500 for themselves and $500 to share with a local charity.

“I am so excited to return as the host of the Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest and celebrate independent restaurants, which are truly the heart and soul of their community,” said Freitag. “It is always inspiring to see the amazing dishes created using General Mills ingredients, and I look forward to sampling the winning dishes and meeting the 2017 winners in Minneapolis in June.”

Neighborhood to Nation Recipe Contest Details

From January 5 to February 28, foodservice operators, chef and line cooks who develop or prepare recipes for menu items served to paying guests at independent, commercial restaurants may submit their favorite original breakfast, entrée or dessert recipes. They must use at least one ingredient from General Mills Foodservice’s participating brands: Pillsbury™ (biscuits, puff pastry and pot pie dough), Gold Medal™ (baking mixes), Yoplait® (yogurt) and Mountain High® (yogurt). The submissions close February 28,  Official rules are available online at www.NeighborhoodtoNation.com.

Recipes will be judged based on taste, appearance, creativity and foodservice viability. Finalists will be announced in May, including three recipe winners who will travel to General Mills’ headquarters in June for the official Grand Prize winner announcement.

Restaurant Law Center

As burdensome regulations continue to negatively impact small businesses, members of the restaurant industry, including the National Restaurant Association, have joined together to form the Restaurant Law Center. The new Center will provide legal advocacy on behalf of the restaurant industry to fight against overregulation on a local, state, and federal level.

One of the first cases the Restaurant Law Center will manage is Oregon Restaurant and Lodging, et al v. Perez, et al. The Restaurant Law Center will file a Petition of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on January 19, 2017. The case challenges the U.S. Department of Labor’s determination that bars restaurants that do not take a tip credit from allowing front of the house staff to share tips with back of the house staff. 

“The restaurant industry has been participating in legal battles on behalf of restaurant owners and employees for years,” said Angelo Amador, Executive Director of the Restaurant Law Center. “But as these fights become more and more prevalent, we must have the legal means and an apparatus to push back against outside groups that threaten the jobs and economic growth the restaurant industry creates, as well as to protect and advance the industry. The Restaurant Law Center will streamline the industry’s ability to engage in legal proceedings and to seek just outcomes.”

“As well-funded special interest groups continue to use the courts to enact policy, it is imperative that the second-largest private sector employer in the country have our voice heard,” stated Jay Stieber, Chairman of the Board for the Restaurant Law Center. “Restaurants are America’s job training ground and one of the few careers that don’t require a four-year college degree in order to achieve the American Dream. But restaurants continue to be threatened by overregulation on a local, state, and federal level and by activist judges with little to no understanding of the industry. The Restaurant Law Center will give us an opportunity to fight back against attacks on the industry and work through the courts to promote pro-growth laws and regulations that will help create jobs and grow the economy.”

To learn more about the Restaurant Law Center, click here.

Kilo Charlie Debuts

Arbor Lodging Partners, owner of the historic Hotel Phillips, opened Kilo Charlie, an artisanal coffee bar unlike any other in downtown Kansas City. Kilo Charlie is the first restaurant concept to open in the hotel, as part of its $20 million renovation, which kicked-off in September 2016. The  concept is partnered with Philadelphia-based master coffee roasters, La Colombe. NVN Hotels manages Hotel Phillips.

When Hotel Phillips opened its doors in 1931, people all over the world were discovering radio’s remarkable power to create shared experiences and connect people – across the globe and across town. Derived from the NATO phonetic alphabet radio call signals “K” and “C,” Kilo Charlie serves as a comfortable, unique gathering place for coffee dwellers – accommodating single and group coffee aficionados, as well as on-the-go commuters and hotel guests. Kilo Charlie is located on the corner of 12th Street and Baltimore, in the heart of downtown Kansas City, and offers a variety of hot and cold artisanal coffee drinks and brews.

“We’re very excited to officially have Kilo Charlie open as the hotel’s first completed renovation project, serving guests and downtown Kansas City coffee lovers bold roasts and carefully prepared espresso drinks,” says Vamsi Bonthala, co-founder and CEO of Arbor Lodging Partners. “Kilo Charlie offers a unique, comfortable atmosphere, great service and exceptionally hand-crafted artisanal coffee drinks, that will keep patrons coming back again and again.”

Kilo Charlie is anything but a standard “grab-and-go” coffee shop, as La Colombe’s serves top-shelf coffee selections suitable for every guest’s taste.  La Colombe’s coffee beans are head-hunted around the globe, bringing exotic flavors state-side, and now to Kansas City. From Corsica to Nicaragua, to Haiti and Myanmar, K.C. visitors and residents can now experience a worldly selection of coffee, without having to leave downtown. Some menu items guests can savor include:

Draft Latte: Incorporates milk into pressurized nitro coffee mix, which results in a creamy and sweet cold beverage, without added milk or sugar

Pure Black Coffee: Cold-pressed coffee served over ice, straight from the tap

Classic Comfort: No coffee menu is complete without favorites such as drip coffee, espresso, French press, macchiatos, cappuccinos and more

Hotel Phillips will be announcing additional information about the new P.S. Speakeasy and renovation completion updates including the opening of Tavernonna Italian Kitchen in the coming weeks.

Mammoth Dining Earns 4-Star Green Certification

t seems only appropriate that the Mammoth Dining Room is the first restaurant in the national park system to ever earn the coveted 4-Star Green Restaurant Association certification, given Yellowstone National Park is also the first national park in United States (established in 1872). Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the company that operates the Mammoth Hotel Dining Room, received the news in December 2016.

The Green Restaurant Association (GRA) is a national non-profit organization that provides a cost-effective way for restaurants to demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability. The Mammoth Dining Room 4-Star rating , is the first 4-Star certified restaurant in Wyoming and one of only 25 restaurants to hold the distinction in the world.

To achieve certification, restaurants must address critical areas that include: energy, food, water, waste, disposables, chemicals and pollution reduction, and furnishings and building materials. To achieve its 4-Star certification, the Dining Room demonstrated sustainable operations through a major restroom remodel, installation of energy-saving LED lamps and water-saving fixtures, sourcing of local and organic cuisine, recycling and composting restaurant waste, and using environmentally-preferable cleaning products.

Located near the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park on the site of historic Fort Yellowstone, the Dining Room embraces a casual setting with sweeping views of what was once the cavalry parade ground. It’s also not uncommon to have front-row views of grazing elk and bison from the windows of the Mammoth Hotel Dining Room. In the winter, wolf watching is immensely popular. 

ezCater Raises $35 Million 

ezCater, the only nationwide marketplace for business catering, today announced that it has raised a $35 million round of funding led by ICONIQ Capital with participation from existing investor Insight Venture Partners. The funding, which brings ezCater’s total amount raised to $70 million, will be used to continue the company’s rapid growth by accelerating product development, expanding its award-winning customer support, and bolstering sales and marketing.

Just in the past 18 months, ezCater has raised a total of $63 million and doubled its headcount to 175 people, including C-level executives hired from Amazon, Rue La La, and Actifio. It has also continued to cultivate its network of restaurants and caterer partners, which includes tens of thousands of independent local restaurants, plus regional and national chains such as Boston Market, HoneyBaked Ham, and Ruby Tuesday. ezCater now counts nearly 50,000 restaurants and caterers in its marketplace and has helped provide food for more than 16 million businesspeople.

“We were very attracted to ezCater’s clear market leadership and pure marketplace business model,” said Greg Stanger, General Partner at ICONIQ Capital. “The value that the company is delivering to businesses and caterers across the county is exceptional and we are excited to partner with the ezCater team to help support their continued growth.”

“As an early entrant into the business catering market, and the only company with nationwide reach, ezCater has earned a strong position ahead of its competition,” said Bradley Twohig, Managing Director at Insight Venture Partners. “The Company’s proprietary technology, extensive nationwide list of restaurant partners, and impressive executive team has driven its market leadership. We are pleased to support ezCater in this exciting phase of growth.”

“With the support of not one, but now two, top-tier investment firms, we have all the resources we need to expand our dominance in ordering food for business,” said Stefania Mallett, co-founder and CEO of ezCater. “But having such great backers doesn’t make us complacent. Our customers will continue to receive a constant stream of new features and additional restaurants everywhere in the U.S.”

Propelled by an increasing reliance on food in the workplace, the market for business catering in the U.S. is now worth $21 billion annually, according to foodservice industry research firm Technomic. ezCater’s focus on serving businesses and its ability to provide food for business events and meetings that take place anywhere in the U.S., make it a compelling solution for all organizations, from top pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca to commercial real estate firms like Jones Lang LaSalle.

“Whether we’re feeding our employees, hosting a special event, or are having a client meeting, food fuels many aspects of our business,” said Jim Tierney, Managing Director at Jones Lang LaSalle. “We are dedicated to delivering exceptional service in everything we do, and ezCater gives our team the confidence that the food we’re providing will be good and on time. ezCater is a great tool for our business.”

“ezCater has provided us a great channel to help us grow our catering business,” said Trish Giordano, VP of Sales and Marketing for Buca Di Beppo, a 92-location restaurant chain. “At some locations, there are days we start cash-positive before even opening the doors thanks to catering orders. ezCater’s national reach and ability to connect us to the largest companies in the U.S. make them an indispensable partner for us and key to our growth strategy.”

QikServe Raises $3.4 Million

Maven Capital Partners led a £2.7 million (US$3.4 million) investment in QikServe Limited, which has developed a patented B2B cloud-based platform aimed at hospitality operators, enabling customers to order and pay for items from a smartphone, tablet or self-service terminal.

Founded in 2011 by entrepreneurs Daniel Rodgers and Ronnie Forbes, QikServe’s software has undergone a number of years of investment and development and more recently successful pilot schemes have led to contracts secured with a number of global hospitality businesses. The funding, which includes a £2 million investment from Maven, alongside £700,000 of additional backing from existing investors, Par Equity, Equity Gap and Scottish Enterprise, will support the global roll-out of QikServe’s platform, including major expansion into the United States, growing the firm’s workforce in key areas, and supporting channel partners.

QikServe’s platform enables customers to discover restaurants, check-in to tables, browse menus, place orders, save and redeem loyalty points or vouchers, and pay their bill directly from their mobile phone or tablet. The platform targets the increasing consumer adoption of mobile solutions and also brings significant advantages to restaurants by improving efficiencies, reducing labour costs, and increasing average spend; QikServe’s pilot schemes have seen an uplift in spend per head of between 50 and 73 percent.

Edinburgh-based QikServe is the only accredited mobile ordering system that is fully integrated with a world-leading EPOS provider, Oracle Hospitality, and provides QikServe with access to over 330,000 accounts across 180 countries. Its software offers Oracle’s multi-site operators a quick and cost-effective solution for deploying a self-service model across large estates. The technology can be seamlessly built into existing back-end systems, with the platform able to be configured remotely with no additional hardware or software required in the premises.

Daniel Rodgers, CEO at QikServe, said: “A dramatic global shift in hospitality economics is resulting in increased uptake of digital self-service technology. Mobile ordering and payments are now pressing concerns for businesses across the global hospitality sector as they seek to improve service, reduce costs and meet the expectations of the modern consumer. We are already working closely with billion-dollar hospitality companies and this funding, combined with our Oracle integration, will accelerate our global footprint, strengthening our position at the forefront of enterprise solutions for hospitality. We are delighted to welcome Maven to the QikServe team and look forward to working with them to help transform hospitality for today’s digital society.” 

David Milroy, Investment Director at Maven, added: “We are looking forward to working with Dan, Ronnie and the team. We have been hugely impressed by the functionality and capability of the QikServe platform and believe that the technology offers a differentiated service to hospitality clients who are keen to realise the potential self-service offers in terms of increasing order value and reducing costs. The hospitality market needs to adapt in the same way that the wider retail market has responded to evolving consumer habits. With Millennials in particular demanding mobile solutions there is a clear need for the hospitality sector to embrace technology. The hard work and efforts of the QikServe team over a number of years have put them at the leading edge of their market and once again it is great to see another exciting technology business originating out of Edinburgh which is capable of satisfying a global market.”

The investment in QikServe represents Maven’s sixth Venture Capital Trust transaction and in total its 12th Private Equity investment in the past year.  Maven was advised by Burness Paull on the transaction. 

Ronero Begins Service

Ronero  at 738 W. Randolph Street in Chicago, the Latin American-inspired rum bar from Owner Nils Westlind and Executive Chef Cory Morris, opened recently taking guests on a tour through Central and South America. From industry veteran Nils Westlind, Ronero draws inspiration from the culturally rich Latin American region where Westlind grew up. The multi-level concept will serve dinner downstairs with an additional bar upstairs, which will feature live music and entertainment in early 2017.

At the helm of Ronero’s menu is Executive Chef Cory Morris, formerly of Rural Society and Mercat a la Planxa. The menu features South American staples with contemporary touches, broken up into three sections: Para Compartir; Carnes, Aves, Pescado; and El Gran Show. Para Compartir, or “to share,” includes small bites such as Coxinha de Galinha, roasted chicken croquettes with frisse and aioli; Ceviche Mixta made with shrimp, sea bass, coconut, lime, corn nuts, fresno chiles, and cilantro; and Matambre, cured beef, heirloom carrot, egg, and chimichurri emulsion. Carnes, Aves, and Pescado features dishes including Cordero, Colorado lamb chops with huacatay sauce and Peruvian potato; and Vieiras, diver scallops with orange-mojo, polenta, and delicata squash. El Gran Show features three spectacular, shareable dishes all served tableside, including Pescado Fritto, a whole fried Red Snapper served with coconut-cola rice and fried plantain; and Puerco en Pachamanca, a 32 oz. pork shoulder wrapped in banana leaf, served with yucca and garlic mojo.

Allie Kim, formerly beverage consultant at BOKA Restaurant Group, serves as beverage director. The downstairs menu includes original cocktails such as the Mama Pacha, made with Bols Genever, Singani 63 Bolivian Spirit, St. Elizabeth Allspice Liqueur, Chicha Morada (purple corn punch), and lemon; and the Desierto Florido, made with Copper and King’s Unaged Apple Brandy, Cinnamon, lemon, egg white, Chilean Pinot Noir, and rose petals. Kim also reimagines classic Latin American cocktails such as the Daiquiri, Caipirinha, Julep, and others. Highballs and drams are available, as well as a selection of regional and local beers.

A bi-level, dual concept, Ronero draws inspiration from Little Havana in the Art Deco era. With industrial touches and gilded accents, guests are immediately transported to the rum-running days of Prohibition upon entering the restaurant. Ronero, a title given to one who has mastered the art of rum-making, served as a primary source of inspiration for the design, lending hints of nostalgia to the rum-rich cultures of the Caribbean and Latin America throughout the space. Gorgeous gold tiling adorns the walls, and vibrant tropical banana leaf print surrounds the banquets.

The upstairs bar, set to open in early 2017, is designed as an homage to Castillo San Filipe de Barajas in Cartagena, Colombia, a place that holds special memories for Westlind. The upstairs bar will hone in on crafting upscale cocktails with a focus on rum as well as rare and exclusive spirits, complete with tableside service, and live music.

Cerberus Capital Management and Partners to Acquire Garden Fresh Restaurants

Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. will sell the company’s assets to affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. (and its partners. Garden Fresh expects to emerge from its Chapter 11 restructuring process later this month. Specific terms of the agreement, which received court approval today, were not disclosed. Garden Fresh said it would emerge from the financial restructuring with between 90 and 104 restaurants, a stronger capital structure and significantly less debt.

“This challenging, but necessary, process has created a stronger financial foundation,” said John Morberg, Garden Fresh CEO.  “Through our partnership with new owners, we plan to accelerate the guest-focused efforts we’ve been making to refresh our brands.”

Garden Fresh, which has more than 100 company-owned restaurants in 11 states, said the acquisition will be completed during late January and no significant changes to its day-to-day operations are anticipated.

Sharone Hakman Partners for Cooking Show

Creating tasty, healthy meals at home doesn’t have to be intimidating. Chef Sharone Hakman has partnered with multi-platform online food publisher Cooking Panda to share his “Everyday Elevated” approach to cooking. “Everyday Elevated” is a five-episode online series marking his first major collaboration with a digital-exclusive publisher. Sharone will show Cooking Panda’s 12 million social fans how to transform “everyday” foods into exciting (and healthier) meals with a flair. He believes that mundane dishes can be “elevated” with simple, whole ingredients – and you don’t have to be a Master Chef to do it.

“Everyday Elevated” episodes will be posted weekly for five weeks; 60-second versions will be posted to Cooking Panda’s Facebook page, and longer, 3-5 minute versions will be posted to CookingPanda.com. 

“I am pumped about this series,” said Sharone. “We are taking fun food that everyone knows, loves and gets excited about, and bringing it to a level of elevation and sophistication that is still very approachable.”

Cooking Panda is a multi-platform online food publication under the banner of Los Angeles-based digital media company Render Media. With 12 million social fans and millions of monthly visitors to CookingPanda.com, Cooking Panda is the fastest-growing online food publication today. It is also the most engaged food publisher on Facebook; fans of the page engage (like, comment, share) with the content at a much higher rate than any other page in the food and recipe space.

“Series such as ‘Everyday Elevated’ really mark a turning point for Cooking Panda in terms of the direction our content is headed,” said Render Media CRO Ross Cimino. “We have gotten to know our audience intimately and have learned what really works for them – talent partnerships are the next step to getting fans even more engaged with the content that we’re producing. We want to compliment our overhead recipe videos by incorporating engaging personalities like Sharone to get our fans even more excited about food and the diverse content that Cooking Panda can offer. We are thrilled to partner with Sharone on this series.”

Dong Lai Shun Expands to North America

Dong Lai Shun, a Beijing institution and home to the original hot pot restaurant in China, has expanded to North America, selecting Mountain View, CA as its first restaurant location in the U.S.

Members of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, joined by Mayor Patricia Showalter, will formally welcome General Manager Harry Huang and Executive Chef Wang GuoXin at the ribbon cutting ceremony on the restaurant’s grand opening, Tuesday, January 10, 2017.  

“We are honored to have the mayor officiate the ribbon-cutting on her last day in office,” Huang said. “I feel blessed by the heart-warming welcome from our friends in Mountain View and our neighbor city Palo Alto.”

Dong Lai Shun serves authentic Beijing cuisine in an elegant setting that reflects Beijing’s rich culture and history. Its traditional furniture, carved panels and glass work were designed to transport the diner to the Imperial Court where the Emperor once enjoyed the most lavish cuisines from all over the nation. The restaurant specializes in hot pot cuisine and Beijing speciality dishes and desserts, including flavorful lamb kebabs and paper-thin beef cuts for hot pot.

The restaurant was conceptualized with group dining in mind: It features special seating that can be reserved to accommodate large corporate lunches and group events. Its individual hot pot menu caters to parties of any size.

The Dong Lai Shun Group is a restaurant and foodservice organization headquartered in China whose history can be traced back to 1903. It operates 23 company-owned restaurants in China. 

PicoBrew Develops Commercial Product

 PicoBrew, manufacturer of the world’s first automatic all-grain craft beer brewing appliances is developing a line of commercial craft beer brewing appliances for bars and restaurants that leverages their patented and award winning “modernist beer brewing technology”.  The products, code-named “Indy” will be available in 2017.

“Our early prototypes of commercial-scale craft brewing equipment have garnered considerable interest in the industry,” said Dr. Bill Mitchell, CEO, PicoBrew. “In 2013 we pioneered the production of great craft beer at home with our award winning Zymatic® and this year made it even more convenient and affordable with our newly released Pico™, so it just makes sense that bars and restaurants would want to take advantage of our technology for their own hyperlocal production of custom craft beer they serve.”

PicoBrew has partnered with over 150 craft breweries from around the world, and Indy customers could join this Pico Brewers Network to brew great beers from around the world, or brew their own recipes designed from scratch utilizing the PicoBrew BrewCrafter tool.  PicoBrew’s BrewCrafter allows both expert brewers and complete brewing novices to brew great beer.  It provides guidance along the way, suggesting a balanced mix of ingredients to ensure creation of a delicious beer recipe.  PicoBrew’s software tool suite makes managing a collection of Indy brewing appliances simple and approachable as well.

Indy products are automated, IoT, beer brewing appliances capable of brewing from five gallon to fifteen gallons of craft beer in 3-4 hours, with a grain-to-glass serving time of about a week, depending on the recipe.  Indy sports a modern design aesthetic and rugged stainless cases designed for under-counter placement.  Some models allow for direct water connections, while others enable separate water-keg supplies.

New Catalog is Here

Paris Site Furnishings and Outdoor Fitness presents their full line of site furnishings and outdoor fitness equipment in a new, 68-page, full-color catalog.  This comprehensive offering details the company’s extensive line-up of benches, waste & recycling receptacles, bike racks, bollards, planters, picnic tables, shade furnishings, sports field equipment, and outdoor fitness equipment. It is available in-print by request, or online at http://www.peml.com/resource/PEML_Catalogue_2016_FullBook_web.pdf. Available as standard products, or customized to include company name and logo or other messaging to suit particular customer requirements.    

Washroom Upgrades

Tork, an SCA brand, launched Tork Stainless Washroom Upgrade Solutions, a new offering that helps customers unlock their restrooms’ hidden potential by debunking the myth that upgrading a restroom’s ambiance and efficiency requires significant time and money.

While restrooms aren’t top-of-mind for the average person, it is arguably the most often-used facility in any building. Whether it be a restaurant, hotel, university, transportation hub, hospital or office building, unclean, poorly-stocked and outdated restrooms leave a negative impression on visitors, tenants and even employees, while a well-maintained facility enhances a business’ reputation.

Tork Stainless Washroom Upgrade Solutions provides customers with a premium and cost-effective alternative to restroom upgrades. With this line of easy-to-install systems that won’t hurt existing infrastructure or take restrooms out of play for long periods the way a traditional renovation would, enhancing restroom facilities no longer means an extensive overhaul. With Tork’s new range of solutions, facility managers can unlock an improved, modern restroom experience for users by making simple upgrades to existing units.

As part of the Tork Stainless Washroom Upgrade Solutions line, Tork is launching:

• Tork Matic® Hand Towel Dispenser Recessed – with Intuition™ Sensor – This dispenser easily fits into existing recessed infrastructure, providing a touch-free roll towel system that gives guests the ultimate hand drying experience.
• Tork Xpress™ Recessed Cabinet Towel Adapters – With three size options that are easily attached within a recessed towel cabinet, this is ideal for customers who prefer folded towel solutions. Not only does it ensure one-at-a-time dispensing, it also prevents product from falling out.

“Tork continues to innovate by focusing on solutions that offer a premium, easy and cost-effective alternative to intensive restroom renovations,” says Claude Corcos, marketing director, commercial segment for SCA AfH Professional Hygiene. “Facility managers and business owners often hesitate to make washroom enhancements because of the myth that upgrades are costly and complex. With Tork Stainless Washroom Upgrade Solutions, we want to help customers unlock their restrooms’ hidden potential by challenging this misconception and showing how our line makes upgrades easy-to-install and hassle free.”

In North America, SCA produces the Tork® line of napkin, towel, tissue and wiper products used in commercial settings such as office buildings, restaurants, schools and healthcare facilities. Through a recent acquisition, SCA produces the Wausau Paper® brand of Away from Home products. SCA TENA® line of incontinence care products is used by consumers at home and in healthcare facilities. TENA and Tork are the global leading brands in their categories.

New Peanut Allergy Guidelines

New peanut allergy guidelines were announced by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) offer the promise that early introduction of peanut-containing foods to infants can prevent the development of peanut allergy.

“These new guidelines are very exciting in that they have the potential to reduce the prevalence of peanut allergy in the United States,” says Tonya Winders, President and CEO of Allergy & Asthma Network, the nation’s leading patient education and advocacy organization for people with asthma and allergies. “Parents of at-risk children can now take steps to prevent the development of peanut allergy by introducing peanut-containing foods as early as 4 months of age.

“However, we continue to strongly urge parents of at-risk children to not introduce peanut into their child’s diet without first consulting a board-certified allergist who can closely supervise and monitor the results.”

“These guidelines represent a wonderful opportunity to help stem the rise in peanut allergy and prevent a large number of cases of peanut allergy from ever developing,” says Matthew Greenhawt, MD, MBA, MSc, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Allergy and Immunology at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and co-author of the guidelines. “If parents and providers buy in and follow these new recommendations, we can achieve a truly remarkable accomplishment that will have a lasting beneficial impact on the health of children across the United States.” 

Allergy & Asthma Network served on the NIAID expert panel that developed the new guidelines. The expert panel also included doctors, nurses, food allergy researchers and other lay organizations. “Parents deserve clear, evidence-based guidelines,” Winders adds. “We were honored to represent the millions of families dealing with life-threatening food allergies every day.”

The new guidelines are an addendum to the 2010 Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States.

What you need to know:

• Infants with severe eczema, egg allergy or both are at high risk for peanut allergy and should be given peanut-containing foods – such as peanut butter – between 4-6 months of age to reduce the risk of developing peanut allergy. The infants should first see a board-certified allergist for peanut allergy testing, which will determine if peanut can be safely introduced, and if this needs to first be done in a specialist’s office.
• Infants with mild or moderate eczema should have peanut-containing foods introduced into their diets at 6 months of age to reduce the risk of developing peanut allergy. These children do not need to first see a specialist and can have peanut-containing foods introduced at home.
• Infants without any eczema symptoms or egg allergy can have peanut-containing foods freely introduced into their diets together with other solid foods, in accordance with family preferences and cultural practice. These children also do not need to first see a specialist and can have peanut-containing foods introduced at home.
• Peanut-containing foods should not be the first solid food introduced to a child. It’s also recommended that peanut-containing foods only be given when the child is not ill.
• Never give whole peanuts to an infant as they are a choking hazard.

Taking it Personnely

Terry Arnold has joined Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits as Senior Vice President, Human Resources. In this role, Arnold is responsible for providing leadership in developing and executing the Company’s human resources strategy in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the company including: organization design, talent management, talent acquisition, learning and development, compensation, benefits, diversity and inclusion, HR information systems and processes, labor relations, and policies and procedures.

Arnold brings more than 20 years of experience in human resources, with deep leadership experience driving operations, business processes, supply-chain optimization, sales management and information technology initiatives for global, industry-leading companies. He has been recognized for his entrepreneurial spirit and for building strong teams, while achieving bottom-line results through a strategic process improvement approach.  

Prior to joining Southern Glazer’s, Arnold served as Vice President of Human Resources at BMC, a leading building material, manufacturing and distribution company.  In this position, he led human resources for the company’s multi-state operations, inclusive of a diverse labor force spanning 120 locations. Most recently at BMC, Mr. Arnold focused his efforts on driving process consistency, leadership development and strategic talent management.

“Terry is an extremely well-rounded executive who recognizes the essential role that human resources plays in business growth and competitiveness,” said Southern Glazer’s EVP, Secretary and Administration, Lee Hager. “His impressive track record, business acumen and leadership skills will be a valuable addition to the Southern Glazer’s executive management team.”

“Southern Glazer’s has an outstanding reputation for its focus on people, inclusiveness, and family values,” added Terry Arnold. “I look forward to building on this foundation to help the Company continue to attract, develop, promote and retain the best employees in the industry. I’m also passionate about talent management and employee engagement and am eager to begin initiating strategic HR programs in these areas across the business.”

The Digital Signage Federation (DSF), the independent not-for-profit trade organization serving the digital signage industry, announced the election of its new 2017 Board of Directors.

The eight At-Large Director Board Director seats, which include five reinstated Board members returning to serve a second term, were decided by the DSF membership in an independent election from a slate of five nominees to serve two-year terms are:

Laura Davis-Taylor, MaxMedia

Wayne Rasor, FASTSIGNS International

Will Amos, Diversified

The returning At-Large Director Seats are held by:

Mark Boidman, PJSC

Sandi Stambaugh, SYNNEX

Ryan Cahoy, Rise

Paul Fleuranges, NYC Transit

Sheldon Silverman, SmartBomb Media

Oliver Vagner, TGI Fridays

Chairman Richard Ventura of NEC Display Solutions, Vice Chair Spencer Graham of West Virginia University, Secretary Len Dudis of Grupo Vidanta and Treasurer Jeff Kent of Cineplex Entertainment will lead the 2017 Digital Signage Federation Board of Directors. The past Chairman’s Council will be chaired by immediate past Chairman Randy Dearborn, MGM Resorts International.

“The DSF is excited about the newly elected board members with each of them bringing new and exciting ideas to the team,” he said. “The new members help provide opportunities to develop new programs and education for the DOOH and integrator communities. I welcome these new board members and challenge them to help drive the future of the organization and industry.”  

The full DSF 2017 Board of Directors can be viewed by clicking here.