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FSR June 2023 No. 114

28 Firebirds Brings the Heat e pandemic didn’t curb innova tion at 56-unit Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, which has been blazing a growth path ever since. 36 Navigating the Modern Workforce A guide to hiring, retaining, and engaging a modern restaurant workforce, with insight from seven industry experts. 42 e Pickleball Frenzy A look at how emerging eatertain ment brands are racing to open hotspots featuring America’s fastest-growing sport. Chef Brad Wise is parlaying his pas sion for Santa Maria-style grilling into TRUST Restaurant Group. 20 The Chill Factor Restaurants are crafting CBD infused drinks and dishes amid a complex regulatory landscape. LIQUID INTELLIGENCE 23 Tapping in to Self-Pour Minneapolis eatertainment mecca Can Can Wonderland, First Draft, and Garden District Taproom are going all in on self-serve technol ogy, and reaping the bene ts. CHEFS & INGREDIENTS 15 Creating a Culinary Collective

FIREBIRDS RAMPED UP CULINARY INNOVATION WITH A “MENUS OF THE FUTURE” FOCUS GROUP.

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CONTENTS

FSRmagazine.com June2023 No.114

®

SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danny Klein dklein@wtwhmedia.com

GROUP PUBLISHER Greg Sanders gsanders@wtwhmedia.com NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Eugene Drezner 919-945-0705 edrezner@wtwhmedia.com NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Amber Dobsovic 919-945-0712 adobsovic@wtwhmedia.com NATIONAL SALES MANAGER John Krueger 919-945-0728 jkrueger@wtwhmedia.com NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Edward Richards 919-945-0714 erichards@wtwhmedia.com ADMINISTRATION 919-945-0704 www.fsrmagazine.com/subscribe FSR is provided without charge upon request to individuals residing in the U.S. who meet subscription criteria as set forth by the publisher. REPRINTS THE YGS GROUP 800-290-5460 fax: 717-825-2150 fsrmagazine@theygsgroup.com Sponsored content in this magazine is provided to the represented company for a fee. Such content is written to be informational and non promotional. Comments welcomed at sponsoredcontent@ fsrmagazine.com. CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Tracy Doubts 919-945-0704 tdoubts@wtwhmedia.com

FSR EDITOR Callie Evergreen cevergreen@wtwhmedia.com QSR EDITOR Ben Coley bcoley@wtwhmedia.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sam Danley sdanley@wtwhmedia.com DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM CONTENT Peggy Carouthers pcarouthers@wtwhmedia.com CUSTOM CONTENT ASSOCIATE EDITOR Charlie Pogacar cpogacar@wtwhmedia.com CUSTOM CONTENT ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kara Phelps kphelps@wtwhmedia.com ART DIRECTOR Erica Naftolowitz enaftolowitz@wtwhmedia.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Mitch Avery mavery@wtwhmedia.com CUSTOM MEDIA STUDIO PRODUCTION & DESIGN

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FIRST COURSE 9 Burning Down Boundaries

program using farm-fresh ingredients at Pacific’o on the Beach in Hawaii.

53 Optimizing Chef-Designer Partnerships

Heirloom Kitchen owner and chef David Viana is switching up the team member struc ture to remove traditional hierarchies at his new restau rant in New Jersey. 12 Driving in Reverse The four top drivers of restau rant talent turnover, accord ing to a 2023 consumer trends report. BACK OF HOUSE 49 Growing a Legacy Brand ON THE RISE Inspired by an NFL coaching legend, Shula’s Restaurant Group is launch ing its first upscale-casual dining experience with plans to expand across the U.S. 51 Crafting Farm Driven Cocktails BEHIND THE SCENES Bar Manager Mari Howe is creat ing a sustainable beverage

YOUR TAKE Alluring design is paramount to creating a holistic and elevated restau rant experience. Here’s how to make the most of collabo

rations with designers. 56 Start Me Up

With five stores in Colorado and five more on the way, Joseph Kim is leading Dae Gee Korean BBQ into future growth through franchising. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 4 Highlights from FSRmagazine.com 4 Brand Stories in Print and Online

LinkedIn.com/company/ FSR-magazine Instagram.com/FSRmagazine Facebook.com/FSRmag Twitter.com/FSRmag

2016 MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR TOP 10 AWARD 2015 MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR

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6 Editor’s Welcome 55 Advertising Index

FOLIO: Eddie Awards 2022 BEST FULL ISSUE HOSPITALITY 2022 BEST SPONSORED CONTENT 2021 BEST PROFILE FEATURE 2017 BEST FULL ISSUE FOOD & BEVERAGE 2013 BEST DESIGN, NEW MAGAZINE 2013 BEST FULL ISSUE, FOOD SERVICE/HOTEL

FSR is a registered trademark of WTWH Media, LLC. FSR is copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions of columnists are their own. Publication of their writing does not imply endorsement by WTWH Media, LLC. Subscriptions 919-945-0704. www.fsrmagazine.com/subscribe. FSR is provided with out charge upon request to individuals residing in the U.S. meeting subscription criteria as set forth by the pub lisher. AAM member. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any fashion without the express written consent of WTWH Media, LLC. FSR (ISSN 2325-2154) is published monthly by WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Avenue Suite 2600, Cleveland, OH 44114. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FSR, 101 Europa Drive, Suite 150, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-2380.

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FSRMAGAZINE.COM THE MOST POPULAR STORIES ON OUR WEBSITE, OR WHAT YOUR PEERS ARE READING Online

HUDDLE HOUSE’S COMMUNITY FOCUSED APPROACH PAYS OFF The brand’s latest 2,100-square foot store design is creating momentum for the chain. FSRmagazine.com/ Huddle-House-Community MONGOLIAN CONCEPTS CEO BUYS OUT COMPANY Genghis Grill, BD’s Mongolian Grill, and Flat Top Grill are now under the Craveworthy Brands umbrella. FSRmagazine.com/ Mongolian-Concepts-Purchase PLUCKERS DEFIES ECONOMIC DOWNTURN WITH RECORD HIRING PUSH The Texas-based wing chain is hoping to bring on more than 100 managers in 12 months. FSRmagazine.com/ Pluckers-Pushes-Hiring

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PLUS FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS / HEALTHY EATING / LEADER PERSPECTIVES / RESEARCH REPORTS / WEBINARS Top Chef Alum Revolutionizes the Restaurant Industry In the first episode of FSR ’s new podcast, The Restaurant Innovator, Chef David Viana chats about burning down the boundary between front-of-house and back-of house workers at his new Iberian restaurant, Lita. FSRmagazine.com/David-Viana

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Welcome

Growth Starts at Home EVERYONE KNOWS TRAVELING is simply an excuse to eat out at restaurants for every meal, right? A reporting trip recently took me to Dallas, where I had the chance to try some true Texan grub and sip some local spirits. A growing societal norm is to support local businesses as much as possible to keep food and beverage dollars going back into the community, which escalated even more during the pandemic. A great format to sample vari ous local beers, wines, seltzers, and cocktails—without creating extra waste if you dislike a drink—is at restaurants with self-pour walls, like Can Can Wonderland and First Draft in Minneapolis, and West Palm Beach’s Garden District Taproom, which are reaping the bene ts of the self-serve technology ( PAGE 23 ). Consumers also love when a restaurant can highlight how they got their ingredients from local farmers, growers, and shers— and even better if the restaurant happens to own a farm or grow their own produce, like Maui’s Paci c’o on the Beach ( PAGE 51 ), where a bar manager is using farm-fresh ingredients to craft cocktails. Another recent trend is restaurants getting creative with infusing CBD into drinks and dishes ( PAGE 22 ) as more cities decrease regulations on the hemp-derived ingredient (which does not cause a high). But perhaps even more popular is the race to open eatertainment hotspots featuring Amer ica’s fastest-growing sport, pickleball—like Smash Park, Chicken N Pickle, and emerging brands like Camp Pickle ( PAGE 42 ). While the pandemic did damage to restaurants across the country, Charlotte, North Carolina-based Firebirds Wood Fired Grill ramped up innovation and has been blazing a growth path that caught the eye of Garnett Station Partners, which acquired the lodgelike steak-and-seafood chain in late March this year. Elsewhere across our June issue, you’ll nd seven industry experts weighing in on best practices for hiring, retaining, and engaging a modern restaurant workforce, from Black Bear Diner and Front Burner Society to Tupelo Honey and more ( PAGE 36 ). Chef Brad Wise is showcasing his range at his San Diego-based TRUST Restaurant Group, which encompasses concepts running the gamut from ne dining to a butcher shop to an ice cream window, including Trust Restaurant, Rare Society Steakhouse, Cardellino Italian Chophouse, e Wise Ox, Fort Oak, and Mr.Trustee Creamery ( PAGE 15 ). Meanwhile, Joseph Kim is leading Dae Gee Korean BBQ into future growth through franchising with ve stores in Colorado and ve more on the way ( PAGE 56 ). Per usual, there’s no shortage of inspiring stories found across the res taurant industry—so let’s dig in.

cevergreen@wtwhmedia.com FSRmag @FSRmagazine

On the Cover This month’s cover features Firebirds Wood Fired Grill’s Cozy Campfire cocktail , made with Jack Daniels Rye, Fireball, Angostura cocoa bitters, and torched marshmallow. Known for its flame grilled steaks and seafood, Fire birds launched a hot new seasonal cock tail menu in March at its award-winning FIREBAR, which also offers shareable bar bites like crispy fried green tomatoes and chile chicken tostada bites.

Callie Evergreen EDITOR

CALLIE: HOLLY FRITZ / COURTESY OF FIREBIRDS WOOD FIRED GRILL

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First Course

Chef David Viana pays homage to his Portuguese heritage with his new restaurant, Lita, which features dishes like a filet mignon topped with peppers and a fried egg.

EMILY SCHINDLER

Burning Down Boundaries BY CALLIE EVERGREEN David Viana is pioneering TOP CHEF ALUM DAVID VIANA is revolution izing the traditional restaurant team structure at his Iberian restaurant Lita, which is designed to burn down the

restaurant workers. The Heirloom Kitchen execu tive chef and co-owner opened Lita on April 26 in Aberdeen Township, New Jersey. All Lita hourly employ ees (except for bar staff) are called hospitality professionals, and are

a new way to provide equal footing for front of-house and back-of house employees.

boundary between front-of-house and back-of-house employees, plus mitigate the ever-common burnout of

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First Course

More consumers are reducing their meat consumption for health or environmental reasons, even if they don’t identify as a vegetarian or vegan—and restaurant leaders are taking notes. Four times as many foodservice operators plan to add more plant based meat options to their menus in 2023, according to Datassential , and 60 percent of operators say plant-based meat is a long-term trend. Plant based foods are now found in 48 percent of restaurants across the U.S., versus 30 percent in 2012. VEGGIE VISION

lic or speaking with people to contribute, and all we’re asking is for everyone to contribute. Contribution is the success,” Viana adds. His other mission is to bring new life to Portuguese cuisine. Lita is a love letter to Viana's family, who immigrated from Portugal to Newark, New Jer sey, in the 1970s. The restaurant is named after Viana's mother, Rosa Lita, who taught him to cook alongside his grand mother, Isaura. Modern twists on traditional Iberian dishes take center stage at the restau rant, where most of the menu

fully cross-trained and rotate between working on the res taurant floor and in the kitchen each week, plus share tips equally. He projects every employee will make around $70,000 annually. “It bridged that gap. There have been other attempts to do this,” he says, noting no-tipping models. “I want to make this clear, because I’m not saying this is going to make other mod els irrelevant … I want there to be an alternative avenue, and I think this is more problem-solv ing for places like Noma, which is a world-class restaurant which

“I want to make this clear, because I’m not saying this is going to make other models irrelevant … I want there to be an alternative avenue, and I think this is more problem-solving for places like Noma, which is a world-class restaurant which is closing because it couldn't have free work anymore.”

will be cooked in an open-fire hearth oven which sits in the middle of the dining room. Guests will start with "Essenci ales," a shareable collection of lighter bites and tapas, before delving into a bevy of charred vegetables, fresh seafood, and meat dishes like piri piri chicken, Bitoque, and crispy paellas. Viana co-owns Lita, Heir loom Kitchen, and Heirloom Kitchen at The St. Laurent with his business and life partner, Neilly Robinson, who acts as managing director. This sum mer, Viana and his team will open La Otra, an intimate neighborhood cocktail bar located next door to Lita. To learn more, listen to FSR ’s new podcast, “The Restau rant Innovator,” which featured Viana as its first guest.

is closing because it couldn't have free work anymore.” Viana's goal? To create trans parency and equality around pay, which historically has been based on a hierarchy in the res taurant industry and has cre ated disparities between FOH and BOH workers. “Our industry proved it was unsustainable because we couldn’t get people com ing back [after the pandemic],” Viana says. With this unique model and structure, Viana offers an elevated hospitality experience for both customers and team members. Though, he admits not every chef has the skillset to play both roles. “There are opportuni ties for chefs that don’t neces sarily want to be guest-facing or aren’t comfortable in pub

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First Course

From spaghetti and risotto to gnocchi and gelato, Italian food is the most pop ular cuisine worldwide according to a recent study by Picky Eater , which ana lyzed Instagram hashtags in 50 of the most-visited cities. Japanese food is the second most beloved type of cuisine; as of 2023, each has been tagged more than 20 million times on the photo-sharing site. Pizza is reported to be the most favored meal mentioned by users, followed by bar becue, brunch, sushi, seafood, and steak—all of which have rightly earned the title of being “Instagrammable.” Yet, the top most common types of restaurants found in the most-visited cities were Chinese, Italian, and Indian restaurants. Penne for your thoughts?

At this point, all restaurant operators know a posi tive employee experience is paramount to retaining sta , attracting new team members, and running an operation e ciently. But what are the drivers of talent turnover for frontline workers? According to a 2023 restaurant consumer trends report from InMoment , top talent is driven away by the following: DRIVING IN REVERSE 1 2 3 4 PROGRESSION—LACK OF GROWTH AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES POOR MANAGEMENT ENGAGEMENT LACK OF INCENTIVES (BEYOND SALARY) POOR CULTURE/WORK PLACE ENVIRONMENT

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Chefs & Ingredients

CULINARY INSPIRATION AND STORIES FROM INDUSTRY TRAILBLAZERS MENTIONED IN THIS SECTION RARE SOCIETY • • • FORT OAK • • •

NICK’S WESTSIDE

CHEF BRAD WISE’S RESTAURANT PORTFOLIO RUNS THE GAMUT FROM FINE DINING TO A BUTCHER SHOP TO AN ICE CREAM WINDOW, INCLUDING TRUST RESTAURANT, RARE

SOCIETY STEAKHOUSE, CARDELLINO ITALIAN CHOPHOUSE, THE WISE OX, FORT OAK, AND

MR.TRUSTEE CREAMERY.

Creating a Culinary Collective

PHOTOCREDIT

CHEF BRAD WISE’S FORAY into the world of foodservice took place when he was just 12 years old while tagging along with a friend to a pizza and cheesecake spot. Jake’s Pizza was located in his hometown of Cape May, a seaside city at the tip of southern New Jersey. The ser endipitous tag-along led to a job mopping floors, and right off the bat, Wise liked the comradery the restaurant industry offered. At the time,

BY CALLIE EVERGREEN Chef Brad Wise is parlaying his passion for Santa Maria style grilling into TRUST Restaurant Group.

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CHEFS & INGREDIENTS CHEF PROFILE

his peers had a bigger impact on him than the culinary side of things, he admits. Then, at 14, Wise began work ing at the Washington Inn, also in his hometown, under executive chef Mimi Wood and sous chef Doug Marandino. “I’m very close with both of them today. They nurtured me, teaching me the right ways,” says Wise, who now owns a port folio of six restaurant concepts running the gamut from fine dining to a butcher shop to an ice cream window. “Something I think is a lost art is when people start from the bottom, and work prep for three years before even touching something on the line,” he notes. “They taught me how to make stocks, sauces, soups, all these things that people come out of culinary school now and they’re like, ‘Oh, I want to be a chef,’ and they didn’t go through the rigorous training

that some others may have.” But before founding his hospitality collective—TRUST Restaurant Group— in 2016, Wise found himself living in Southern California and working for a hospitality company called Eat.Drink. Sleep for nine years, where he was run ning culinary programs at various inde pendent hotels or at parks. “Then I realized I wanted to get out of the operations and go more into the culinary side of things, and that’s where the birth of Trust started. I had never cooked the food that I cook now,” he says. Wise describes his culinary style as “not fancy by any means, but bold fla vors and textures and things like that is what excites me, not necessarily the way the dish looks. Although they’re not ugly, at least I don’t think so, but they’re not foofy.”

In 2016, Wise opened Trust Restau rant with the idea of marrying food, bev erage, and service. The concept focuses on shared plates, familiar ingredients emboldened with big flavors, and mod ern cooking techniques—but the foun dation is an open flame. Dating his now wife whose family has roots in Califor nia’s Central Coast region, Wise fell in love with wood-fired, Santa Maria-style grilling for everything from meats, sus tainably-sourced seafoods, and vegeta bles, to creative sauces and purees. The barbecue style dates back to the mid 19th century and is a regional culinary tradition, where everything is cooked directly over the fire, typically over red oak wood. Trust’s dinner menu is split into cat egorizes “Farm,” “Ocean,” and “Ranch,” and ranges from oak-fired potatoes with

CHEF BRAD WISE

FAVORITE SPICE: Lately I’ve been really into North African spices. POST-SHIFT DRINK OF CHOICE: Modelo FAVORITE DISH AT RARE SOCIETY: The Caesar Salad BEST MUSICAL ARTIST TO COOK TO: Andrea Bocelli (aka “The World’s Most Beloved Tenor”) GO-TO COOKING UTENSIL: Nothing more versatile than a spoon FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: Cap’n Crunch

CHEF BRAD WISE RECENTLY OPENED THE FOURTH LOCATION OF RARE SOCIETY IN MILL CREEK, WASHINGTON—THE FIRST EXPANSION OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA.

MATT FURMAN (4)

JUNE 2023

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CHEFS & INGREDIENTS CHEF PROFILE

tzatziki, pickled turnips, sumac onions, moroccan garlic crunch, and puffed farro from the farm to charred swordfish with satay sauce, noodles, peanut crunch, bean sprouts, pickles, and herbs. Wise’s team also offers whole-grilled branzino with herb relish, campari tomatoes, shaved fennel, and grilled lemon. “I’m a firm believer in pushing every thing to the limit,” Wise says. “You want to push people out of their comfort zone in a sense of, everyone can get the same ingredients I can. You as a consumer can

sion in his preferred cooking method, which sparked Wise’s imagination to what was possible. When many restau rateurs were shutting down operations and hunking down in homes, Wise was dreaming up new concepts—then open ing them. In early 2020, Wise launched Cardellino, an Italian chophouse with handmade pastas and pizzas inspired by Wise’s South Jersey, Italian influences. Next up was Wise Ox, a quick-ser vice retail butcher and sandwich shop with artisan-style meats, which debuted

how to be better and operate better. I do a lot of soul searching in that fash ion,” Wise adds. Rare Society offers cuts of dry-aged ribeyes, wagyu, and other retro steak house classics like Oysters Rockefeller, snow crab legs, and Caesar salad (one of Wise’s favorites on the menu). Indul gent touches like seafood towers com plement a progressive cocktail program plus a playful dessert selection. Following a warm reception to the first Rare Society location in San Diego’s uptown area, Wise and his team ven tured into North County with a second location in Solana Beach. “I might be the brainchild behind a lot of this stuff, but I can’t do it without [my team],” he says. “I’ve got to give them the tools to succeed, and affirmation is a big one we’re learn ing this year that makes the difference on why people want to show up and work these long hours.” The through-line between all of his concepts (aside from Mr. Trustee) is the wood-fired grill. At Rare Society, signa ture meat boards showcase a variety of the restaurant’s 30 to 40-day dry aged steaks, as well as a selection of the kitchen’s favorite prime cuts. Wise and his team opened the third Rare Society location in July 2022 in Santa Barbara, and in February, opened a fourth store in Mill Creek, Washington—marking the concept’s first expansion outside of California. As far as future growth goes, Wise wants to open 15 more Rare Soci ety locations throughout the U.S. over the next five years. When asked what he thinks the key element to creating and growing a suc cessful restaurant group is, Wise says “don’t deviate from your plan. If you have a plan and it’s working, stick with it and see it through. Learn from your mistakes and failures. Just be aware, and write everything down.” “You have to partner and work with a group of people that share your vision, and give them the freedom to be them selves,” Wise adds. “You’ve got to believe in what you do and treat people with respect at the end of the day, but still hold people accountable.”

MATT FURMAN

AT RARE SOCIETY, THE MENU RANGES FROM DRY-AGED RIBEYES AND WAGYU TO OTHER RETRO STEAKHOUSE CLASSICS, LIKE OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER AND CAESAR SALAD.

go to a farm and grab the same tomatoes, same everything I’m getting, but I would like to create something that they don’t normally do at home.” Wise continued to push his own boundaries by opening a “big sister” con cept to Trust—Fort Oak in Mission Hills, California. A U-shaped bar seats 23 peo ple and circles around what was once an old Ford dealership showroom, while the exhibition kitchen seats 16 at a coun ter with a view of the culinary action. While Trust focuses on more elevated comfort food plates, Fort Oak is more of a raw bar with seafood and composed entrees, Wise explains. The restaurant has received numerous accolades, like a Michelin Plate Award. Fort Oak’s sophisticated menu and Mid-Century design signaled a progres

in September of the same year in North Park and also offers a monthly meat sub scription. Then came Mr. Trustee Cream ery, a walk-up ice cream window adjacent to Cardellina. Spearheaded by Wise’s executive pastry chef, Jeremy Harville, Mr. Trustee is open every night and offers small-batch, artisanal ice cream with unique flavors like cereal-themed Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lemon Meringue Pie. Yet, Wise’s journey wasn’t without challenges. A boilermaker bar concept folded after just a year, but inspired what Wise considers perhaps his great est invention—Rare Society, an homage to vintage Las Vegas steakhouses, which he first opened in November 2019. “I’ve learned a lot in three years, and this year, I’m really drilling down on

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CHEFS & INGREDIENTS NOW SERVING

The Chill Factor

BY SAM DANLEY Restaurants are getting creative with CBD-infused drinks and dishes.

HEMP-DERIVED CBD IS LEGAL AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL UNDER THE 2018 FARM BILL, BUT REGULATIONS STILL VARY STATE BY-STATE, WHICH MAKES FOR A TRICKY ENVIRONMENT FOR RESTAURANT AND BAR OPERATORS TO NAVIGATE.

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TZUCO, AN UPSCALE Mexican restau rant in Chicago, is mixing CBD (Canna bidiol from hemp plants) with hibiscus syrup, lemon juice, and slices of serrano peppers. At Nick’s Westside in Atlanta, diners can unwind with a specialty bev erage featuring CBD, amaro, apple spice, and lemon. These spots are among a ris ing tide of restaurants offering CBD infu sions in the form of non-alcoholic mock tails, allowing guests to join in the ritual of socialized drinking without loads of sugar or the dreaded hangover.

Chicago-based Flora Hemp Spirits works with Tzuco, Nick’s Westside, and dozens of other restaurants to cater to sober-curious and cannabinoid-curious patrons. Hospitality veterans Adam Pea body and Danny Jahnke launched the company in 2019 after noticing an uptick in the number of mocktails being ordered. “There were a couple alcohol alter natives out there, but none of them were really saturating into the restau rant world, and none of them had func tional ingredients,” Peabody says. “We

knew there had to be something better, rather than just mixing together a bunch of juices to make a mocktail.” For restaurants looking to add CBD drinks to the menu, the company offers Flora Essence, an alcohol-free cannabi noid spirit featuring 25 milligrams of CBD per 2-ounce serving. It also offers Flora Delta 8, which provides users with a mild buzz from THC (the psychoac tive part of cannabis). These serve as 1:1 replacements in just about any gin or vodka recipe.

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Hannah Vittengl, beverage director at Devils Head Ski Resort in Wisconsin, pairs the products with fruity recipes, adding the cannabinoid spirits to moji tos and blending them with pomegran ate juice or grapefruit juice. “I nd that people are really curious about it,” she says. “Once they see it and we tell them about it, they get pretty excited to try it out. It’s a great option for people that don’t drink, and with the growing fad for mocktails and the decline in drinking, it’s de nitely tell ing us that this is the future.” Peabody says education is a key com ponent, especially when it comes to CBD o erings. ough the compound doesn’t produce the same psychoactive e ects as THC, it can help users feel more relaxed. “ ere’s de nitely a big education hur dle to let people know they’re not going to get stoned from this, and CBD isn’t going to make them fail a drug test,” he says. “Another piece of that is going into restaurants and letting them know that it’s acceptable for them to serve, and that a lot of places are already doing it.” The regulatory landscape for res taurants serving CBD is somewhat of a gray area, but for the most part, Pea body says restaurants and bars are able to openly sell CBD infusions. e com pound is derived from both hemp and cannabis, and the origin can play a role in its legality. “Being involved with restaurants and bars is a really big part of what we do, and that’s why we decided to go the hemp route rather than the cannabis route,” he says. “With cannabis, you might only be able to sell a product at dispensaries, depending on where you are, but for us, a big part of the reason we made Flora was to give people in social settings an alternative to consume,” Peabody adds. Hemp-derived CBD is legal at the federal level under the 2018 Farm Bill, but regulations still vary state-by-state. Some states may have their own rules that limit the availability or use of CBD products. Others might have specific labeling and testing standards. Flora uses a water-soluble hemp

DEVILS HEAD SKI RESORT IN WISCONSIN ADDS CANNABINOID SPIRITS TO MOJITOS AND BLENDS THEM WITH POMEGRANATE OR GRAPEFRUIT JUICE.

FLORA HEMP SPIRITS

derived CBD isolate. Other options include full-spectrum CBD, which con tains all of the other cannabinoids and compounds found in the plant, includ ing trace amounts of THC. ere’s also broad-spectrum CBD, which contains all of the plant’s original compounds except for THC. Different types of CBD work bet ter for di erent menu items, says Bill Stewart, product design consultant at Portland-based Half Baked Labs. He works with chefs, consumer packaged goods brands, and cannabis companies to develop a wide variety of CBD infu sions, from beverages and baked goods to hors d’oeuvres and entrées. “If you’re doing something sweet, I rec ommend going with an isolate, because there’s very little avor,” he says. “Water soluble CBD isolates are an easy choice for drinks, because you just put a couple pumps into the beverage, stir it up, and you’re done.” Broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD have the added bene t of an “entou rage e ect,” where multiple compounds interact to produce a greater sense of relaxation. But those extra compounds

also create a stronger avor and aroma. “ ere’s a number of di erent ways to deal with that. One way is to beat it down with stronger avors, like choco late or salt,” Stewart says. “Salt is a nice addition to a dish containing full-spec trum CBD because it turns o the bit ter taste buds.” Another strategy is to enhance those earthy and bitter notes with complimen tary avors. Pepper, citrus, and pungent spices like ginger work well with CBD infusions. In savory dishes, the canna binoids can be treated as another herbal note, blending right in with rosemary, oregano, and other similar avor pro les. CBD can easily be added to olive oil, butter, or other kitchen staples to cre ate any number of functional menu items. Stewart says salad dressings, dips, spreads, icing, dessert toppings and other low-heat recipes o er an easy point of entry for chefs looking to hop on the CBD trend. “If I had one summary for restaurants, it’s that it’s not as crazy or as scary as you might think,” he says. “It’s a lot easier to incorporate CBD into your menu than most people anticipate.”

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TRENDS AND CREATIVE APPROACHES TO SPIRITS, WINE, AND BEER. MENTIONED IN THIS STORY GARDEN DISTRICT TAPROOM • • •

FIRST DRAFT • •

• CAN CAN WONDERLAND

MINNEAPOLIS BASED FIRST DRAFT FEATURES 54 TAPS FILLED WITH EVERYTHING FROM LOCAL BEERS,

WINES, AND SELTZERS TO COCKTAILS ON TAP LIKE A MOSCOW MULE.

TAPPING IN TO Self-Pour

FIRST DRAFT

SELF-SERVICE TECHNOLOGY is noth ing new; just look at the widespread popularity of vending machines, ATMs, and frozen yogurt brands. But the adoption rate of self-serve is steadily pouring over into the full-ser

vice restaurant industry, and for good reason. Self-pour beverage walls offer operators labor savings, increased sales and speed of service, inventory control, and also offers customers unique and personalized experiences.

BY CALLIE EVERGREEN Bars and restaurants alike are going all in on self-serve technology.

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Plus, restaurants can partner with self serve technology gurus like PourMyBeer and iPourIt to make operations as easy as possible. ere are more than 300 bars, brew eries, and eateries using iPourIt technol ogy throughout the U.S., says CEO Chris Braun, and the majority of operators are serving food. iPourIt, based in Lake For est, California, touts itself as the rst self-pour tap wall system to be designed and installed, thus beginning the rise of the self-pour revolution. ough simi lar in theory to self-serve frozen yogurt since guests can pour as much or as little as they please, iPourIt is more sophisti cated and uses RFID technology to limit access to the taps to customers veri ed to be 21 years or older, plus tracks the ounces poured to create a cumulative bill for each guest throughout the visit. Operators report an average increase

in alcohol sales by 39 percent after installing a self-pour wall, Braun notes. And since every ounce of beer, wine, cider, or any other beverage is tracked and accounted for, waste is greatly reduced; iPourIt operators report an average keg yield of 97 percent, while the average for traditional service in the food and bever age industry hovers around 76 percent, Braun says. “Operators also have access to powerful tools through the operator dashboard like inventory management that shows exactly how much product is in each keg, line-cleaning reports, pro t margin by product, automated discounts, and more,” he adds. An example of one of iPourIt’s oper ators is Rosie Hanson, co-owner of the recently-opened Garden District Tap room, which is the rst self-pour tap room in West Palm Beach, Florida. One of the rst places Hanson discovered

a self-pour wall was at Oak & Stone in Saint Petersburg, Florida, which is a brewpub serving artisan pizzas, craft beers, and cocktails. “It’s something cool to do while you wait for your food to get out, and you don’t need a server bringing you drinks. I think it’ll do really well in certain concepts,” Hanson says. With 25 taps, one of Hanson’s favor ite parts is the picking process, which began with three wine spots, one nitro, and the remainder of taps featuring all beers. “We’re craft beer lovers, so we know a decent amount and said OK, let’s get a variety of styles so we can see what sells,” she says. “We try to put things we know to be good on tap. We had a few slow-mov ing beers, but for the most part, we get a lot of compliments on our selection,” Hanson adds. The number one seller at Garden District Taproom is Yacht Party, a light American Lager style beer brewed by Charles Towne Fermentory in Charleston, South Carolina. Another top-seller is Untitled Art’s Florida Selt zer, which uses real fruit juice like prickly pear and guava. Hazy IPAs and anything fruit-forward is also popular in the craft brew scene, Hanson notes, as well as

experimental ones with fun avors like marshmallow and vanilla. Though wines aren’t as popular—which Hanson chalks up to numerous wine bars within blocks of them in downtown West Palm Beach— having options for non-beer drinkers is still a good play. “Whenever one keg kicks, you put something di erent on. Sometimes you have a speci c one in mind to put on after wards, sometimes it’s not con crete. But we’ll try to order our inventory to get us through the next couple weeks in case we’re busier than expected,” she says. At Can Can Wonderland in St. Paul, Minnesota, a self-pour beer wall with 36 taps comple ments a full-service bar. The eatertainment mecca offers vintage arcade games, indoor

“It’s something cool to do while you wait for your food to get out, and you don’t need a server bringing you drinks.”

GARDEN DISTRICT TAPROOM (3)

JOSH AND ROSIE HANSON (ABOVE) OPENED THE FIRST SELF-POUR TAPROOM IN WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA—CALLED GARDEN DISTRICT TAPROOM—WHICH FEATURES VARIOUS LOCAL BREWS.

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mini golf designed by local artists, and a stage that hosts live music, karaoke and comedy nights, plus drag and bur lesque shows. Concession stand-style stalls serve artisan pizza—like The Venetian Boot with marinara, Italian sausage, salami cremini mushroom, onion, mozzarella, and rosemary—as well as sandwiches, Bahn Mi nachos, sal ads, ice cream treats, and classic snacks

well, we have wristbands and check that,” McDonough says. Customers are capped at 32 ounces, but can come back to the attendant to reissue more ounces to pour if they don’t appear intoxicated. Plus, all IDs are checked at the door when people pay, and wristbands make it clear who is over 21 and who isn’t. Rob Clapp, co-founder and CFO of Can Can Wonderland, was originally

pour wall and cooler into a shipping con tainer, then commissioned two local artists to paint gra ti murals on three sides to give it a cool aesthetic that t the vibe of the eatertainment place. “ e opportunities are literally end less to showcase art in the space. e weirder, the more exotic, it doesn’t mat ter because we’re not held within a box, and that’s the coolest spot to be in,” adds McDonough. Just eight miles east of Can Can Won derland in Minneapolis is First Draft + Burnt Chicken, another self-pour, pay by-the-ounce establishment featuring 54 taps of beer, wine, cider, cocktails, and kombucha. Established in 2018, First Draft is owned by Andrew Valen, who, similar to Can Can Wonderland, also likes to source drinks locally from Minnesotan brewers and distilleries, and recently set up a full-serve bar. “I think people like self-pour and I think there’s a niche for it, but I also believe that there’s a desire for that more tradi tional bar o ering,” Valen says. “When it comes to service at a self pour taproom, of course our labor is a little less, but not to the degree peo ple thought, especially when we first opened,” he continues. “We got some serious criticism right away that we were trying to eliminate the service industry, which is far from the truth. Part of the reason we’re adding a bar is to have peo ple that are engaging people at the taps to talk about what they may like, and what might pair well with food.” Valen seeks to differentiate First Draft by emphasizing it’s not just a beer wall. One of the most popular taps is a Moscow Mule, he notes, and other top sellers include seltzers, ciders, and even non-alcoholic choices. “Let’s give people the ability to visit a hub for local craft beer, but let’s be more than that and not limit ourselves to the beer place, since not everyone likes just that,” Valen says. “Margins are very di cult and slim in the restaurant industry, so if we can just cut a little bit and save some money in a few di erent areas, it makes the via bility of the restaurant much stronger,” Valen adds.

“Have good people running it to make sure you get a quality output for your guest. Otherwise, you will get a lot of bad pours and people will think they’re getting ripped off.”

CAN CAN WONDERLAND

BASED IN THE TWIN CITIES, EATERTAINMENT SPOT CAN CAN WONDERLAND IMPLEMENTED A SELF-POUR WALL TO TAKE PRESSURE OFF ITS MAIN FULL-SERVE BAR.

and sides like pretzels and fries. With the whimsical atmosphere at Can Can Wonderland, seltzers and ciders are popular choices at the self-serve wall, says Sarah McDonough, general manager, whose personal favorite is a locally-brewed sour called Super Squishy by Oliphant Brewing, which comes in blackberry, raspberry, or coconut. “It’s just like the State Fair—people want to try the mini donut one, or we have a cot ton candy seltzer we make at Saint Paul Brewing that ies out the door,” she adds. On the flip side, being a family friendly establishment versus a typical bar setting that only allows people over 21 means special safeguards must be put in place for a self-pour wall. “The biggest thing is to make sure you have that attendant at all times and systems in place so no one is over served. Because we’re kid-friendly as

inspired to look into implementing a self-serve beer wall when lines were causing a 10- to 15-minute wait for peo ple to get a beer, which started having a negative impact on reviews. “We cur rently use the PourMyBeer system, and so far they’ve been great for us. It’s all about being able to have those 36 taps to take a lot of pressure o that main bar,” he says. Educating consumers on how to cor rectly and e ciently pour drinks is a key area attendants should be trained in. “In the beginning, we de nitely had a situa tion where a lot of people were unfamil iar, and they were pouring foam-heavy beers,” Clapp recalls. “Have good people running it to make sure you get a qual ity output for your guest. Otherwise, you will get a lot of bad pours and people will think they’re getting ripped o .” Can Can Wonderland built the self

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What Do All These Highly Successful Chefs and Restaurateurs Have in Common?

You should know—you’re one of them. You’re what we at FSR like to call “tablesetters.” You make things happen in the restaurant industry. You’re an innovator on your menu and in all aspects of your operation. You’re watched and emulated by other restaurateurs. You lead the markets you operate in. These are the characteristics that make a tablesetter. And FSR is the trusted source of information for these most influential chefs and restaurateurs in the industry. Request your free subscription today by visiting FSRmagazine.com/subscribe Full-Service Restaurants : Setting America’s Table

The pandemic did little to curb innovation at the classic chain. In fact, it did the opposite. BY DANNY KLEIN BRINGS THE Firebirds HEAT

FIREBIRDS WOOD FIRED GRILL CEO Steve Kislow wouldn’t exactly refer to the pandemic as a “good thing” for restaurants. Most full-service brands shed 90-plus percent of their business within literal hours. But the afterglow proved a lot different than the aftershock. “The disrup tion and the change in consumer behav ior that happened as a result allowed us to shine,” Kislow says, speaking from the 23-year old chain’s new Charlotte, North Carolina, head quarters. ¶ The Firebirds leaping from COVID’s crater is healthier, stronger, and with loftier average-unit volumes than ever. The reality is, Kislow says, it’s simply a different brand than it was in 2019. Just look around HQ. x

FIREBIRDS

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