MRM News Bites: The Art of Slow, Cracker Barrel Goes West and a Latte Art Throwdown

This week’s MRM New Bites features the first West Coast Cracker Barrel, a documentary series that asks how contemplation inspires creativity, Mama Gaia in Memphis, Nobu Downtown in NYC, creature cans and a latte art showdown in London. Send news items of interest to bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com or modernrestaurantmanagement@gmail.com.

SPYR to Spin-Off Eat at Joe’s

SPYR, INC., a holding company with wholly owned subsidiaries in both the mobile game and app development and publishing industry, and in the restaurant industry, announced a formal action by the Company’s Board of Directors to initiate the legal and regulatory steps necessary to spin-off the company’s restaurant division, Eat at Joe’s® as a separate publicly traded company.

The spin-off company, currently operating under the name Eat at Joe’s®, will focus on the licensing or possibly franchising of the Eat at Joe’s® name and concept and will also include the manufacture and distribution of branded foods.  The company plans to achieve its goals related to branded foods in part by acquiring companies with new and interesting food concepts.

In approving the action, the Board determined that “spinning off” its restaurant division would enable management to focus its attention on SPYR’s core digital gaming business, while at the same time, providing its restaurant business with the necessary resources and management attention to separately develop and realize its full shareholder value.  Further, spinning-off the restaurant entity will allow SPYR and Eat at Joe’s® to separately raise capital and seek financing, which should allow each to do so more effectively and efficiently.

The Company will soon complete the necessary steps to organize Eat at Joe’s® as a separate entity.  Then, SPYR and the new Eat at Joe’s® entity will complete the regulatory components required to establish Eat at Joe’s® as a separate public company; registering Eat at Joe’s® common stock on Form 10; and, thereafter, filing an information statement and ancillary documents necessary to complete the spin-off transaction.

As consideration for the spin-off transaction, SPYR shareholders of record as of May 19, 2017, will receive one share of Eat at Joe’s® for every share of SPYR common stock that they own.

“We are very excited about the prospects of the spin-off for our shareholders and the resultant separately trading public companies,” said SPYR CEO & President, James R, Thompson. “Each company will be able to enjoy a separate identity, thereby allowing each to maximize value for its shareholders.”  

Cracker Barrel Establishes West Coast Presence

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® opened  in Tualatin, OR., the first Cracker Barrel® location on the West Coast. Cracker Barrel plans to open three more Portland-area locations. The brand’s entry into the Portland area marks a key expansion of its footprint.

“With the opening of our first store in the Portland area, Cracker Barrel is bringing its mission of ‘Pleasing People’ to the West Coast,” said Nick Flanagan, Senior Vice President, Restaurant & Retail Operations at Cracker Barrel. “Cracker Barrel has sourced high-quality ingredients from the West Coast for its stores for many years, and we are looking forward to growing as a member of the Tualatin community. We invite everyone in the Portland area to relax, dine and shop in what we hope will become their ‘home away from home.'”

 In Tualatin, Cracker Barrel’s new store celebrates the history and culture of the local area through decorative walls that pay homage to the famous Oregon Trail, the region’s contributions to agriculture and music, Portland’s status as a research hub and to the much-loved pastimes of bicycling and skiing. Guests will also enjoy shopping in the old country store for toys, games, food items, apparel, accessories and other unique items. 

Cracker Barrel, who features music in the retail portion of its many stores, has partnered with the Youth Music Project, a local Oregon organization, and country artist Lauren Alaina to encourage guests to join them in supporting music education in the area.  

Cracker Barrel serves an average of 1,000 guests a day in its 643 restaurants and old country stores located in 44 states. 

Abuelo’s Brings Mexican Flavor to Houston Area

Lubbock TX-based Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurants opened its first restaurant in the Houston area in Katy at the Shoppes at Parkwest at 24600 Katy Freeway, It is the company’s 39th location nationwide.

Ultimate Fajitas

The new Abuelo’s will feature approximately 7,600-square-feet of interior space and will include an outdoor, climate controlled patio with operable doors that can be opened in nicer weather or closed as needed. It will also feature a natural light skylight over an interior courtyard, with a mix of both modern and traditional Mexican décor.

“We designed Abuelo’s to have a gracious, yet friendly environment that’s compatible with our authentic, creative dishes,” said Mike Lilly, Abuelo’s general manager in Katy. “We are excited to bring our unique Mexican concept to Katy, and we look forward to being an active part of the community.”

The new restaurant will include many of Abuelo’s regular menu items, but will also feature new items that are specific to the Katy location only. New shareable appetizers are Seared Tuna with Shrimp Ceviche, Beef Tenderloin Flameado and Cañas, Mexican-style pork “wings.” Several new House Specialty items have also been added to the menu including Carne Asada a la Tampiqueña, fire-grilled skirt steak topped with green chile rajas con queso ,and Shrimp Enchiladas.

Abuelo’s pre-opening training services will raise funds to benefit Child Advocates of Fort Bend™, a nonprofit agency whose mission is to provide a voice, heal the hurt and break the cycle of abuse and neglect for all children in Fort Bend County. 

“Our theme is ‘beyond Tex-Mex,’” added Robert Lin, president of Food Concepts International, Abuelo’s parent company.  “At Abuelo’s, our goal is to offer our guests an opportunity to experience the diverse and distinct flavors of Mexico in a beautiful setting with superior service at a great value.”

Taking Time for Inspiration

New documentary series from Zacapa Rum: ‘The Art of Slow,’ discovers that taking time to reconnect is the best way to succeed at the cutting edge of gastronomy. When you think of the professional kitchen, you think of the roaring grill, the bark of the chefs’ orders and the rising smoke. It is no wonder that this is widely considered to be one of the busiest environments on the planet. How do the chefs at the cutting edge of culinary creativity find their inspiration among all the kitchen noise?

The short documentary series, sets out to uncover exactly this and explore the stories of chefs who are pushing the creative boundaries of gastronomy.

Kamilla Seidler, recently named Best Female Chef in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016, takes time-out of her restaurant, Gustu in Bolivia (owned by Noma co-founder Claus Meyer) and journeys to Italy, Spain, United States and Mexico to spend time with, and be inspired by, four leading chefs who are redefining the gastronomic world.

Putting ingredients and techniques aside, she looks beyond the kitchen in order to understand what separates these culinary disrupters from those around them. While savouring a glass of Zacapa with each of the chefs, she explores what inspires them, their creative processes and their ‘a-ha!’ moments when they reconnect with what is around them.

Seidler meets:

  • Diego Guerrero (Madrid, Spain) – the two Michelin star Chef at DSTAgE Madrid
  • Guillermo González Beristaín (Mexico) – Chef at Pangea, Monterreyand winner of the Chefs’ Choice Award in Latin America’s 50 Best restaurants 2016 
  • Diego Rossi (Italy) – Head chef at Trippa, Milan (awarded Michelin Bib Gourmand), he previously worked in Antiche Contrade, Cuneo, earning it a Michelin star
  • Cesar Zapata (USA) – Chef at Phuc Yea! And previously at The Federal,Miami. 

Although they come from the four corners of the globe, they all share a passion for ingredients, making their clientele happy through pleasurable gastronomic experiences and embracing what Zacapa calls ‘The Art of Slow’ – a philosophy that recognises the best things can’t be rushed. It encourages taking time out to reconnect, to go fishing for inspiration and foraging for innovative ideas and celebrates the inspiration that is found along the way.

Seidler discovers that each of these chefs leaves the kitchen at the end of a long shift and takes time to decompress and rediscover, through a host of different activities – Cesar cycles, Diego finds solace in his native Italian countryside, Guillermo heads to the mountains and Diego Guerrero unwinds with music.

Diego Guerrero muses: “If you are cooking all the time you can’t see any further than that – your mind is closed and you have no external influences to inspire you. I have learnt that it’s really important to leave the kitchen, to disconnect, so that you can go back to it again. I pushed this philosophy to the limit a few years ago, we had our first Michelin Star in 2007 but we recognised that in order to improve we needed to leave the restaurant, seek inspiration and start again from scratch. We launched DSTAgE and two years later we had another two stars.”

 “I think it is very important – in fact it is extremely necessary – to take some time to yourself – to calm down, to think about other things outside of the kitchen, to enjoy what you are doing, to take things slowly,” she said. “I believe that taking time to learn from others is fundamental, it’s a gift in gastronomy that you can always keep learning but you need to search for inspiration, to look for influences, to see and to taste new things. That’s why I loved taking part in this culinary exploration – I learnt so much from these four revered chefs, how they each embrace the Art of Slow philosophy in their own way – relaxing and breathing and enjoying everything instead of thinking about what they’re going to do in five minutes, and now I’ll take it back with me, renewed and refreshed, to my kitchen.”

Montserrat De Rojas, Global Brand Director, Zacapa, said: “We love how these five leading chefs – who are at the very forefront of creative gastronomy – have brought The Art of Slow to life both inside and outside their kitchens. Zacapa’s Art of Slow philosophy celebrates the magic that happens when you take the time to create genuinely meaningful and pleasurable experiences including great food and drinks.

“For Zacapa, time matters more than anything, it is a focus throughout every stage of how we craft the luxury liquid. From taking the time to select the finest virgin sugar cane, to hand crafting a Mayan ‘petate’ band which adorns each bottle, to our unique maturing process: ‘Sistema Solera*,’ right up to taking the time to sip, savour and enjoy the luxury rum. Every element of the journey has been carefully chosen and the time taken to produce a deep and complex flavour like no other. Together with these esteemed chefs, we are inviting people to sit down and savour a sip of Zacapa and a great conversation, to embrace the Art of Slow.”

The four-episode series is available at https://www.youtube.com/user/RonZacapaOfficial.

Mama Gaia Debuts

On Saturday, March 25Philipp and Cru Peri von Holtzendorff-Fehling’s opened Mama Gaia, their startup fast casual, organic, vegetarian restaurant concept,  in Memphis

The couple was inspired to launch Mama Gaia after Cru was diagnosed in 2010 with Lyme disease, an uncommon and debilitating condition. In an effort to regain a normal lifestyle, she self-prescribed a dietary change (among other lifestyle changes) to all organic and plant-based foods. Soon after, their family noticed a remarkable difference in her health. Throughout Cru’s experience, the family has found a lack of restaurants offering affordable organic and vegetarian menu choices that are served quickly. The duo aims to fill this gap with Mama Gaia, sharing their mission of cultivating a sustainable lifestyle through organic eating.

Mama Gaia

Mama Gaia, which means “Mother Earth” in ancient Greek offers quickly-served breakfast, lunch and dinner through a menu packed with healthy and delicious meals like pitas, quinoa bowls, salads, soup, desserts, kid-friendly items, and fresh juices and smoothies. More than 80 percent of items are vegan, and many are gluten free. The dishes are handmade to order using organic ingredients that have not been genetically modified or exposed to harmful chemicals. 

“We know that fitting healthy eating into a busy lifestyle is challenging,” said Philipp, CEO and co-founder of Mama Gaia. “It’s difficult to find healthy, organic options on the go, so after seeing first hand how an organic vegetarian diet affected our family, we wanted to make this option a reality for everyone.” 

Mama Gaia offers freshly prepared dishes like pitas, quinoa bowls, salads and more.

Philipp and Cru are 100 percent committed to a sustainable, environmentally friendly restaurant that makes the unavailable available to anyone. To them, Mama Gaia is about being good stewards of their employees, customers, partners and community, as well as making the world a better place. That is one reason they opened the restaurant in Crosstown Concourse, a massive revitalization and reuse project that began in 2010 after the former largest Sears facility in the country sat vacant for over 20 years. And, as a Project Green Fork-certified establishment, it is the only B Corporation-certified restaurant in Tennessee.

The von Holtzendorff-Fehlings created the Mama Gaia concept based on three guiding principles – health consciousness, ethical obligation and environmental stewardship. The pair partnered with two other experienced businessmen, Tom Coba (former COO of Subway Restaurants) and Paul Stringer, for this venture. With the first location under their belts, Philipp and Cru have their sights set on future Mama Gaia locations in the Memphis area and beyond.

Memphis is our home and the first place we wanted to launch Mama Gaia,” said Cru. “We would love to open more Mama Gaia locations so many more people can benefit from delicious, healthy, organic food.”

Stetsons Promotes Arroyo
Isidro Arroyo

Stetsons Modern Steak + Sushi, the internationally-inspired steakhouse and sushi bar located inside Hyatt Regency Chicago (151 E. Wacker Dr.), promoted Isidro Arroyo to Chef De Cuisine. In this role, Arroyo is responsible for overseeing all restaurant operations at Stetsons Modern Steak + Sushi.

Arroyo has been with Stetsons for one year and previously served as the restaurants Chef Tournant. His career started with Hyatt Regency Chicago in 1996 where he worked as an intern and was quickly hired on fulltime as a line cook. He’s also worked in banquets and served as a saucier for the hotel. Arroyo has also held a number of positions at Park Hyatt’s NoMI Kitchen, including cook, sous chef, and banquet sous chef. In 2013, he returned to Hyatt Regency Chicago to assist with the opening of the hotel’s American Craft Kitchen & Bar and BIG Bar, and the transformation of Stetson’s Chop House to Stetsons Modern Steak + Sushi.

“It’s an honor to continue this next chapter in my culinary career where it all started,” said Arroyo. “My work at Stetsons Modern Steak + Sushi has become a passion during my time with the restaurant, and I’m excited to help shape its future.”

Hobart Launches CLeN Dishwashers

Hobart recently launched the new CLeN-series dishwashers at the NAFEM Show.

“Our mission is to help customers experience greater efficiency, reliability and cost savings with their dishwashing equipment,” said Tim Peters, product line manager for Hobart. “As demand grows for ‘green’ benefits, increased cost savings, and simplified labor practices, the CLeN helps customers achieve those requirements through superior product innovation and performance.”

Hobart’s CLeN Warewasher was designed to turn dishwashing into a science, using industry-leading technology to clean dishes and kitchen ware in less time and at a lower cost of operation. The CLeN Base, CLeN Energy Recovery and CLeN Advansys models offer a powerful new value to an already established performer in the market. The CLeN series delivers the following new features and benefits:

  • Drain Water Energy Recovery (DWER) models provide up to 20 percent energy savings over the CLe series. DWER models capture the heat from exiting drain water and use it to heat the incoming cold water prior to being heated by the booster. This allows the machine to run on cold water, reducing hot water usage up to 90 percent. DWER models also temper the drain without the need for additional cold water, ensuring compliance with plumbing codes at a reduced cost.  
  • Automatic Soil Removal (ASR), available on CLeN Advansys models, actively pumps out food soil that was missed during pre-scrapping to an external basket. This keeps the wash water cleaner and for longer periods of time by reducing tank fills, saving money on chemicals, water and energy. 
  • NSF rated “intelligent” configurable Pot & Pan Mode extends wash times for hard to clean ware at the push of a button, reducing or eliminating the need for pre-soaking.
  • Programmable De-Lime Alert, based on the customer’s water hardness, reduces unnecessary de-liming, saving money on chemicals and extending the life and durability of your machine.
Nobu Downtown Opens

Nobu Downtown opened at 195 Broadway marking the historic relocation of the first-ever Nobu, and its sibling Nobu Next Door, from their original location in Tribeca to Manhattan’s Financial District. The 12,500 square feet of space designed by Rockwell Group, includes an expansive street-level Bar & Lounge and stunning subterranean dining room.

The Bar & Lounge is set within an interior landmark space defined by heroic columns framing a circular bar beneath a striking wooden ash brushstroke sculpture. One section presents a coveted 4-seat sushi bar, with three sections dedicated to an exclusive new cocktail and lounge menu. Among the new dishes is the collaborative “Downtown Style Hand Rolls,” featuring assorted nigiri, toasted nori, and share bowls of uni, cilantro, jalapeno, and more, allowing guests to play sushi chef as they try different combinations and taste every Nobu flavor in one bite.

A river rock wall greets guests as they descend the stairs to the 187-seat dining room, and an undulating wooden canopy connects a series of dining spaces designed to function separately or as one. The private sake table and private dining room invite guests to enjoy inspired Omakase menus amidst hand-cast glazed tiles and ceramic sake carafes. The far end of the main dining room features a 13-seat sushi bar situated in front of an open-concept kitchen where guests will witness the creation of new innovations including Sizzling Uni Yaki, Plancha-Grilled Octopus with Chocolo Salsa, and Short Ribs with Jalapeno Salsa.

Nobu Downtown was designed by Rockwell Group, with build out by Shawmut Design & Construction, in the historic AT&T building.

In the twenty-three years since Robert De Niro asked Chef Nobu Matsuhisa to bring his now-famed cuisine to New York, Nobu has expanded to include more than 30 restaurants around the world, together with a new collection of Nobu Hotels. 

Southern Glazer’s Launches Underage Drinking Prevention Initiative

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (“Southern Glazer’s”)—the largest North American wine and spirits distribution company—today announced that it has established the Youth Alcohol Awareness & Education Foundation, Inc., devoted to the prevention of underage drinking. The Foundation will provide funding for programs that support underage drinking prevention in partnership with educational institutions and community-based organizations.

The Foundation’s first initiative consists of a partnership with Step Up For Students, a nonprofit organization that helps manage the income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, and EverFi, Inc., the leading education technology innovator that empowers K-12, higher education, and adult learners with the skills needed to be successful in life. With the partnership, the Foundation has issued a grant to Step Up for Students to fund the implementation of the Everfi AlcoholEdu® for High School online curriculum in 25 public and private high schools throughout Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Everfi AlcoholEdu® for High School is a 1.5 hour, interactive course that includes online activities and teacher-facilitated discussions. The platform engages students with science-based alcohol education and interactive exercises, providing an individualized experience that changes perceptions, motivates behavior change and supports healthier decisions regarding alcohol.

“We have a long history of promoting the prevention of underage drinking by working with our industry trade partners and customers to reduce teen access to alcohol,” said Wayne Chaplin, CEO of Southern Glazer’s. “This new program, which brings education and awareness directly to high schools students, enhances our commitment to this effort and enables us to have an even greater positive impact on this important social issue.”

Archbishop McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Florida is a Step Up For Students partner school and one of the first to sign up for the program. Michell Llovet, Student Activities Director for the school said, “The program gives the students the knowledge and power to make healthier choices for their body and their future. It is very well designed and provides another avenue that we could use to reach our students.”

“Southern Glazer’s has been a long-standing partner with Step Up For Students, helping us provide much needed access to quality education to thousands of young people in Florida,” said Dr. Carol Thomas, Vice President, Office of Student Learning, Step Up For Students. “Getting involved in this program was a natural extension of our existing relationship and we are thrilled to be able to help bring these critical life skills to students in our own partner private schools, as well as public schools throughout South Florida.”

“The high school years represent a critical window to set the foundation for responsible drinking behavior,” said EverFi President and Co-Founder Jon Chapman. “AlcoholEdu has evidence demonstrating the program’s impact in reducing negative consequences associated with underage drinking and we are very excited to be working with Step Up For Students and Southern Glazer’s Youth Alcohol Awareness & Education Foundation to empower young people in South Florida to make safer and healthier decisions about alcohol.”

La Progresiva Presbyterian School in Miami, Florida, another Step Up For Students partner school, has also signed up for the program. Edgard Arana, High School Social Sciences teacher at La Progresiva commented, “This generation of high school students is getting ready to plunge into a college atmosphere saturated with misconceptions of alcohol. Providing these students with a program that presents accurate information about alcohol in a manner that is relevant and easily accessible is not only beneficial, but absolutely necessary.”

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is North America’s largest wine and spirits distributor, and the preeminent data insights company for alcoholic beverages. The company has operations in 44 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Canada, and the Caribbean, and employs more than 20,000 team members.

Digital Signage Expo Broke Attendance Records

Digital Signage Expo (DSE), the world’s largest international trade show and educational conference dedicated to digital displays, interactive technology and digital communications networks, announced its 2017 event broke previous records in attendance and exhibit space.

The conference and trade show, which ran March 28-31, set a new record with more than 4,900 attendees, including fewer than 1,000 international visitors from 62 countries. Nearly 2,100 of those attendees were end users, DSE’s primary target audience, setting another all-time high.

The exhibit hall also reached a new high-water mark with 86,090 net square feet. Of the 255 exhibitors, 74 were exhibiting for the first time.

End user attendees represented more larger and well-known companies than ever before, including: Amazon.com, Anheuser-Busch, Capital One, Chevron, Facebook, Honda, JPMorganChase, Kimberly Clark, McDonald’s, Nike, Porsche, Quick Trip, Syracuse University, The Walt Disney Company, The U.S. Air Force Academy, just to name a few.

“The big takeaway from DSE 2017 was that attendees were highly qualified, engaged and active on the show floor on both days,” Andrea Varrone, DSE’s Show Director, said. “We worked extremely hard to bring notable brands to the show floor by increasing our promotion investments and social media outreach. Those investments paid off for our exhibitors, big-time.”

“DSE helps keep me at the forefront of the digital industry so I can continue to provide the highest value to my customers,” Jesse Breidinger, Senior Manager of Commercial Leadership, The Coca-Cola Company, said. With the fast-pace evolution of technology, I make sure that DSE is on my calendar each year to see the latest trends and innovation.”

Mark your calendar now: DSE® 2018 is scheduled for March 27-30, 2018,

Taste the Stars
TAP Portugal is collaborating with five Chefs with Michelin stars who, along with TAP’s cuisine consultant Chef Vítor Sobral, will introduce the “Taste the Stars” program to further enhance its customers’ travel experience. The addition of the country’s most renowned Chefs takes TAP’s mission to share Portuguese flavors to new heights. Starting in September, inflight meals will include a creation from one of the five Michelin star chefs who have accepted the challenge to promote the best of Portuguese cuisine.
 
“Portugal is often referred to in international media as ‘the best kept secret in Europe.’ TAP’s commitment in announcing this project is perfectly clear: we will do everything we can so that Portugal is no longer a secret,” said Fernando Pinto, TAP Portugal’s Chairman, at the official launch of this project in the Palácio Pimenta, in Lisbon.
    
TAP’s chairman believes this agreement with the six Chefs “will allow more people to discover the excellence of our cuisine and fall in love with Portugal: with its aromas and scents, its sunshine and sea, its wines and cuisine and, of course, its culture.”
    
As part of the “Taste The Stars” project, TAP also will offer a platform to other gifted chefs – young talents trained by the six official Chefs, and given the opportunity to present their creations and suggestions as part of the inflight service. In 2016 TAP served 14 million in-flight meals, almost 2 million litres of water, 1.7 million litres of fruit juice and soft drinks, almost 37 thousand kilos of coffee, 175 thousand litres of beer and more than 500,000 litres of wine, all of which was produced domestically. In the coming months, TAP will also announce a revolutionized wine list, with a new selection model which will give Portuguese producers the opportunity to promote their products internationally.
    
Lucille’s Supports World Autism Month

Family-owned  barbeque destination Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que is teaming up with Autism Speaks to help increase understanding and acceptance of autism. The April campaign marks World Autism Month.

During April, Lucille’s will donate to Autism Speaks the Round It Up America contributions – in which guests “round up” their purchases to the nearest dollar – at 22 participating locations throughout Arizona, California and Nevada.  Team members at Lucille’s restaurants will wear buttons and blue beads, the color of Autism Speaks, to show their support. Tabletop signage will share information about autism and Autism Speaks.

To kick off the promotion, on Sunday, April 2, for each donation of $5 or more, Lucille’s will give guests a $10 bonus card good for a return visit. (One per table, please.) Lucille’s will also be serving up a ‘Blueberry and Basil Margarita,’ a blue drink inspired by the color of Autism speaks, that combines El Jimador Reposado Tequila, fresh basil, vibrant blueberries and is then hand-shaken with agave nectar and fresh lime juice. For each drink sold, Lucille’s will donate an additional $1 towards their final donation to Autism Speaks.

People with autism spectrum disorder may have challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech or nonverbal communication, but they also may have unique strengths. An estimated 1 in 68 children is on the autism spectrum.

“Autism hits close to home for the Lucille’s family,” said Brad Hofman, president of Hofman Hospitality Group, parent company of Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que. “This year, we are expanding our support to include all of our restaurants. Together with our guests we can make difference in the lives of those affected by autism.”

Last year, Lucille’s two Las Vegas restaurants raised about $2,000 for Autism Speaks. This year, Lucille’s hopes to raise more than $30,000 to help the nonprofit organization support research into the causes and better interventions for autism.

“We’re thrilled to work with Lucille’s on a larger scale this April,” said Autism Speaks Vice President of Corporate Development Peter Morton. “This fundraising campaign helps us ensure that children and adults with autism have access to reliable information and services throughout their lives.”

Lucille’s has been participating in Round It Up America, a platform that encourages restaurant guests to donate change; over the past ten years, Round It Up America has collectively raised millions of dollars for charitable organizations and programs across the country. 

Latte Art Throwdown

In celebration of UK Coffee Week, Arla Organic Farm Milk hosted its very first Latte Art Throwdown. For those of you aren’t in the know, a Latte Art Throwdown challenges baristas in a competition to show off their best and most innovative latte art skills in a series of challenges. The latte art was judged by Radio 2’s Nigel Barden and latte art specialists Anthony Khouri and Phil Base.

Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images

Contestant Matilda Ericsson was the winner of the Arla Organic Farm Milk Latte Art Throwdown held  at The Gentlemen Baristas in London Bridge. She beat ten other contestants to win £150 ASDA vouchers and a year’s supply of Arla Organic Farm Milk. The event, which challenged baristas in a competition to show off their best and most innovative latte art skills, took place in celebration of UK Coffee Week 2017, a  nationwide fundraising campaign supporting the coffee growing communities around the world.

Adam Equipment Adds New Scales

Adam Equipment added new stainless steel models to its series of PT platform scales. The new versions will be available in the United States, Latin America, and Germany.

The new PT stainless steel platform scale is designed to be  rugged, durable, and features washdown capabilities, making it well-suited for commercial, industrial and mining applications. PT stainless steel platforms offer capacities up to 10,000lb/4,500kg and readabilities of 0.5lb/0.2kg and 2lb/1kg. They are available in three square pan sizes of 1000mm/39in; 1200mm/47in; and 1500mm/59in.

Ideal for weighing food products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals or mining materials, the PT stainless steel platform and load cells feature an IP66 rating for protection against water and dust. Easy to clean, the grade 304 stainless steel pan can tolerate frequent washing, while the sleek brushed surface helps prevent the accumulation of food and dirt particles.

A reinforced frame under the platform provides strength and support, so the scale can accommodate substantial loads. Offering solid, dependable stability, PT stainless steel’s heavy-duty rubber feet adjust to compensate for uneven weighing surfaces. Optional ramps are customized to fit the exact size of the platform.

PT stainless steel platform can be paired with the Adam Equipment AE402 stainless steel indicator to provide the features and functions needed for any weighing task.

The AE402 indicator offers a range of features for numerous weighing applications. Built to be durable, the AE402 can handle demanding weighing tasks and performs well in a variety of environments. The stainless steel housing is IP66 rated to prevent against dust and water ingress. Its compact design means the AE402 can be mounted easily on a wall with the included bracket and hardware. The large backlit display features an easy-to-use keypad with highlighted tare key, checkweighing limit LED, and low-battery indicator. Date and time are supplied by the indicator and included in printouts.

Creature Cans from Paris Site Furnishings
Paris Site Furnishings presents Creature Cans – 34-gallon steel litter receptacles that are sure to attract attention for their playful designs.  Four different styles are available, including a Beaver, a Frog, and Octopus and a Spider, each with a plastic liner for easy servicing.  Constructed of steel that is rust proofed and powder coated for a long service life, these whimsical receptacles liven up any outdoor environment.  They are ideal for parks, streetscapes, green spaces, schools and universities, sports venues, transit facilities, retail and corporate settings, or wherever durable and functional waste receptacles are desired.
SONY DSC
All Creature Cans are manufactured in Princeton, ON and available factory direct or through distributors and dealers throughout North America.