Carob Makes a Comeback

Last updated on April 11th, 2021

Carob-flavored recipes on the rise in 2021

The all-natural sweetener that gained fame as a healthy chocolate substitute at the turn of the millennium is popular once again and being featured prominently in restaurant recipes in 2021. Most used to prepare sweet treats and desserts such as brownies, fudge, and milkshakes, there are so many good reasons why adding carob-flavored dishes to your menu is a sure-fire recipe for success.

Carob Benefits

If you are new to carob, it is a sweet, edible pulp that comes from the pods of a tropical carob tree. Dried and roasted, the pulp is ground into a powder for consumption or transformed into carob chips, syrup, or extract. In an age when wellness tops consumers’ minds, carob steps up to the plate with its multiple health benefits. These include the facts that carob is: Continue reading Carob Makes a Comeback

Coffee Menu Newcomers Debut in 2021

Last updated on January 17th, 2021

Add international coffee flavors to your 2021 menu.

The New Year has arrived and so have forecasts for the upcoming coffee trends. The good news is that pandemic or no pandemic, restaurant goers continue to clamor for coffee! If you work in foodservice and are looking for a way to stay ahead of the competitive pack, it’s time for a coffee menu update.

What’s Brewing in the World of Java

In the era of COVID-19, coffee shops may no longer be crowded, but java sales remain high thanks to a host of new options. Continue reading Coffee Menu Newcomers Debut in 2021

Restaurants Ring in the New Year with Kombucha

Last updated on March 10th, 2021

Add popular kombucha to your New Year takeout menu and cater to demand

Kombucha, the fizzy, fermented tea with a distinct tangy flavor, is in high demand for 2021. Restaurateurs seeking to upgrade their beverage menu for the New Year would do well to cater to customers’ clamors for more Kombucha.

So, what is it that has the cold tea flying off grocery store shelves, appearing in home and workplace refrigerators, and making the top-four list on consumer recipe searches?

We’ll answer these questions and more as we delve into the unusual world of Kombucha. Continue reading Restaurants Ring in the New Year with Kombucha

Tips for Catering a Holiday Party During COVID

Last updated on December 22nd, 2020

Caterers are in-demand for the holidays despite corona

Christmas is in the air and the New Year is fast approaching. Normally, the holiday catering season would be in full swing. From family gatherings to workplace holiday parties and other festive occasions marking the end of the old and the beginning of the new, this season has normally been a boon for foodservice providers and for the catering industry. The advent of COVID-19, however, has put a damper on the festivities and a new spin on what is considered ‘normal.’ From social distancing protocols and limited guest numbers at live events to virtual gatherings where get-togethers take place online only, you may think a caterer’s job is a thing of the past.

There is good news on the menu, however, for professional catering companies, party organizers, and event planners! Due to the coronavirus, the takeout/ordering-in paradigm is now in full bloom. The public is starting to gather again, albeit in small groups, and they are willing to pay top dollar for their favorite catered holiday meals and desserts.

Continue reading Tips for Catering a Holiday Party During COVID

Casseroles Make a Comeback During Corona

Last updated on December 16th, 2020

Restaurant casserole sales rise during corona.

Attention restaurant owners: If you are looking for corona-friendly recipes to add to your menu, think casseroles! The quintessential oven-baked creation is making a comeback during corona, and for good reason. Budget-friendly and family friendly, casseroles can be as rich or as simple as your customers’ palates desire. They are easy to prepare, nutritious, delicious, and are typically made from many of the staples you already have in your pantry. Think cost-effective ingredients such as pasta, rice, flour, canned or frozen vegetables, canned soup, beans, and a choice of meat, cheese, fish, or vegetarian options. Moreover, casseroles make plenty of servings and are easy to freeze and store.

Many Types of Casseroles

Boost restaurant revenues with comforting casserole dishes during corona.

Here’s more good news for 2020 restaurateurs: With a trove of tried-and-true casserole recipes available, and with an endless variety of dishes your chefs can concoct on their own, it is no wonder the casserole has become the “go-to” dish for many restaurants in the wake of the coronavirus. Continue reading Casseroles Make a Comeback During Corona

Cater to Your Customers with Stress-Relieving Foods and Beverages

Last updated on December 22nd, 2020

Add stress-relieving foods to your menu during covid pandemic.

If you are wondering what restaurant-goers are hungry for these days, think immune-boosting, health-promoting, and stress-relieving foods and beverages. Fortunately, if you run a foodservice during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no lack of options to choose from. So, let’s lift the lid on stress-reducing ingredients to learn how you can help your customers eat and drink to optimize their health. At the same time, we’ll dish out a healthy serving of menu ideas, including a decadent stress-reducing recipe that will cater to your customers’ demands and drive traffic your way.

Can Eating the Right Foods Reduce Stress?

Scientists and nutritionists confirm that if one feels anxious, stressed, panicky, has difficulty sleeping or concentrating, suffers from racing thoughts, or feels off-balance, eating the right foods can have a calming influence.

Continue reading Cater to Your Customers with Stress-Relieving Foods and Beverages

How to Spice Up Your Post-Corona Restaurant Menu

Last updated on December 16th, 2020

Chefs maximize the use of spices and herbs in the wake of the coronavirus.

If you are looking for ways to enhance your restaurant menu post-COVID-19, look no further than using everyday spices and herbs. We all know that seasonings add ‘the spice of life’ to cooking and baking and can transform any dish from bland and boring to flavor-filled, fabulous, and unforgettable. They are also a great way to make food taste better without the addition of fat, salt, or sugar, and are compatible with almost every type of diet (vegetarian, vegan, Paleo, Keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, salt-free, and more).

Better yet, many spices and their sister herbs are everyday common staples currently in high demand due to the coronavirus, wherein ‘back-to-basics’ has become the recipe to success in foodservice as well as in home cooking. Continue reading How to Spice Up Your Post-Corona Restaurant Menu

How to Keep Your Catering Business Alive in the Wake of Corona

Last updated on December 14th, 2020

Caterers and wedding planners get creative in the wake of corona.

If you are wondering how caterers have been impacted by COVID-19, or how your catering business can move forward in the post-corona era, you have come to the right place. Like restaurants, the catering industry was hit hard by the pandemic, coming to a near-grinding halt when the lockdown to combat COVID-19 began. Social distancing rules made cooking for weddings, corporate events, religious ceremonies, and other large gatherings almost nullified. At the same time, pre-booked events – a caterers’ bread-and-butter – had to be postponed at best or canceled altogether in the atmosphere of uncertainty.

Continue reading How to Keep Your Catering Business Alive in the Wake of Corona

Restaurateurs Sell Groceries to Stay Financially Sound During COVID-19

Last updated on November 19th, 2020

Add selling groceries to your restaurant's menu to sustain busciness despite corona

The corona pandemic has wreaked havoc on the restaurant industry, forcing business owners to restrict their operations or shut down altogether. Around the world, foodservices relying on dine-in customers have had to scramble to keep their businesses afloat. With social distancing regulations in full force, many have turned to now-familiar solutions such as transforming their brick-and-mortar into a take-out and delivery service. Continue reading Restaurateurs Sell Groceries to Stay Financially Sound During COVID-19

How to Show Your Customers You Care During the Corona Crisis

Last updated on January 17th, 2021

Get tips on how to provide customer service despite the corona crisis.

The restaurant industry as we know it has come to unprecedented stand still due to the global crisis of the coronavirus. Otherwise known as COVID-19 or ‘corona,’ it will surely be infamously recorded in the annuls of time as one of the most epic and devastating pandemics the world has ever experienced. Yet, although it is affecting every continent, country, and industry, everyone is doing their best to not only survive but to thrive in spite of the odds with the hope and prayer that the crisis will soon end and that order and prosperity will be restored.

Cater to Your Customers

So, what can you do, as a foodservice professional, to keep your business alive despite corona? And more importantly: Is there a way to continue to connect with your customers and even foster relationships while your brick-and-mortar eatery is shut down? The answer, fortunately, is a resounding YES.

Ironically, during this very time of imposed isolation that restricts the public from traveling, interacting, and eating out, there has never been a more opportune time to show customers that you care by making concerted efforts to connect with them and even cater to their needs. You were granted time now, time you never thought you would have, to tap into your creative juices and take your restaurant’s customer service level to new heights and earn some major, long-lasting loyalty points in return.

Read on as we share some of our suggestions to help you stir your own creative culinary juices.

Continue reading How to Show Your Customers You Care During the Corona Crisis