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CONTENTS 48

FSR May 2023 No. 113

CASUAL DINING GIANT APPLEBEE’S TALLIED 1,569 OPEN U.S. LOCATIONS AS OF YEAR-END 2022.

34 From Reality to Restaurant ‘Real Housewives’ star Kandi Bur russ and husband Todd Tucker are making their mark on the Atlanta dining scene. 48 Applebee’s New Era of Dining Applebee’s new president Tony Moralejo is leading the neighbor hood bar and grill into the future. 40 The NRA Show Preview Here’s our guide to the must-see sessions at the restaurant indus try’s influential spring showcase from May 20-23. CHEFS & INGREDIENTS 17 Stirring the Pot (Roast) Two-time James Beard Award-win ning chef Gavin Kaysen is reach ing legendary status at Spoon and Stable and his other Minneapolis based restaurants. 22 The Brunch Boom Non-breakfast brands are embrac ing the revenue-generating daypart, like The Brass Tap and The ONE Group’s Kona Grill and STK. LIQUID INTELLIGENCE 29 Subscribe to Imbibe Exclusive members-only programs are elevating bar culture and bot tom lines at BJ’s Beer Club and Neshaminy’s Creek Club.

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CONTENTS

69 72 FSRmagazine.com May2023 No.113

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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. SALES SUPPORT AND DIRECTORY SALES 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

BUFFALO WILD WINGS / BRANDON AMATO

FIRST COURSE 11 Menus of the Future

to take advantage of the wild energy market and add some certainty into your restaurant operating budget. 69 Inspire’s Entrepreneurial Activist BEHIND THE SCENES As a multi-unit franchisee under Inspire Brands, Karim Webb is working to embolden the diverse leaders of the future. 72 Start Me Up Helmed by restaurateurs Miguel Hernandez and Damian Otero, Rreal Tacos is going into growth mode and expanding beyond its four units in Atlanta. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 4 Highlights from FSRmagazine.com 4 Brand Stories in Print and Online

Eight innovative trends are being baked into the cutting edge menus of the future, from modernized comfort foods to flavor contrasts. 14 Cherry Fever The ruby red superfood is gaining popularity across res taurant menus—and not just in dessert dishes.

BACK OF HOUSE 65 Building Up Steam

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

ON THE RISE With seven loca tions across Alabama and Tennessee, Cajun Steamer Bar and Grill is bringing its party atmosphere to new states and plates, led by president Gaston Lanaux. 67 Controlling Your Energy Costs YOUR TAKE Rising inflation has affected more than just the price of eggs. Here’s how

2016 MAGAZI NE OF THE YEAR TOP 10 AWARD 2015 MAGAZIN E OF THE YEAR

FOUNDER Webb C. Howell

6 Editor’s Welcome 71 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

FRIENDLY’S OWNER UNVEILS DYNAMIC FORMULA FOR GROWTH A multi-platform operator is injecting life—and growth— back into an 85-year-old cate gory icon. FSRmagazine.com/Friendlys-Growth MEET TRUE FOOD KITCHEN’S NEW CEO John Williams is taking the helm of the 43-unit healthy eatery, and bringing his learnings from past roles at Lazy Dog, Disneyland, and General Mills with him. FSRmagazine.com/TFK-New-CEO HOW P.F. CHANG’S ADAPTED TO GUEST BEHAVIOR The brand’s new off-premises concept is thriving, but that doesn’t mean it’s veering away from the dining room experience.

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Welcome

Experimentation is Everything FOR ALL THAT I APPRECIATE about the culinary world, my chosen artist’s utensil is the pen (or a keyboard), not the kitchen knife. ough I always planned to learn how to cook better, I can somehow never nd the time— especially when my partner’s homemade chicken tikka masala tastes so good. I was also a pretty picky eater growing up in the Midwest, and never really bothered to try things like honey mustard or curry until college, when I really started developing my palate. An immersive reporting class took me to Antigua, Guatemala, where Mayan culture merges with Spanish traditions and produces delicious dishes like chicken pepián, pupusas, and empanadas. Fast forward to March of this year, when I traveled to Unli ever’s Food Innovation Center or “ e Hive” in Wageningen, Netherlands, to attend the company’s Future Menus event, and where I think I earned my stripes as an adventurous eater. Case in point: I tasted miso made from two-month-old moldy bread, plus a mini ice cream bar made from parsnips. But the wildest bit for me was when Dutch master chef Angelique Sch meinck told everyone to close their eyes and run a spoon across a table smeared with various ingredients, from black carrots and a Bloody Mary reduction to a seafood mousse. She called it a “ avor painting,” and the experience was meant to illustrate one of the eight trends identi ed by Unilever Food Solutions as being the next big megatrends on menus across the world. To get a sampling of the details, turn to PAGE 11 . ough I’m incredibly grateful for discovering that I enjoy things like Chaamse Hoen with cauli ower, brown butter, and sauerkraut, sometimes I prefer to go back to the basics, like boneless wings or brew pub pretzels and beer cheese dip at Applebee’s, whose recently-appointed president Tony Moralejo is partnering with franchisees to grow and serve a new genera tion of diners ( PAGE 48 ). Or I love a brioche French toast and omelet during seemingly every Millennial’s favorite daypart, brunch, which is being embraced by even non-breakfast brands now ( PAGE 22 ). Looking elsewhere across this month’s issue, ‘Real Housewives’ star and award-winning songwriter Kandi Burruss, along with her husband and business partner Todd Tucker, are making their mark on Atlanta’s dining scene ( PAGE 34 ). Brands beyond Net ix are recognizing the power of the subscription model, like leaders from BJ’s Beer Club ( PAGE 29 ). And a multi unit Bu alo Wild Wings franchise owner is inspiring others with his entre preneurial activism ( PAGE 69 ). One common through line in each of these stories—and in every chef’s and restaurateur’s success stories—is the act of experimenting. How else do you discover bold new recipes and nd solu tions? e food and beverage industry would taste a lot more bland if peo ple were afraid to try something new. And as scary as it can be, daring to do things di erently and being creative is how this industry moves forward.

cevergreen@wtwhmedia.com FSRmag @FSRmagazine

Also in this Issue From working in a Subway at 15 years old to training alongside famed French chef Daniel Boulud at 28, chef Gavin Kaysen ( PAGE 17 ) is earning legendary status at his Minneapolis restaurants. Under Soi gne Hospitality, the two-time James Beard award-winning chef owns and operates Spoon and Stable, Demi, Belle cour Bakery, Mara, and Socca Cafe.

CALLIE: HOLLY FRITZ / COVER: D E MORRIS MARABLE / ERIN KINCHELOE

Callie Evergreen EDITOR

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First Course

A Dutch apple pie with cinnamon, cream, and caramel is topped off with a 3D printed chocolate apple, made at Unilever's global Food Innovation Center.

JESSICA BUTERA

Menus of the Future BY CALLIE EVERGREEN UFS identified the top 8 innovative trends being baked

food service, released its first Future Menu Trends report this year, identify ing eight of the hottest global trends in the culinary world. Each one was tested and validated with more than 1,600 chefs in 21 countries, and later trans lated into professional kitchen recipes

CULINARY TRENDS that were already pres ent—like mindful proteins and low waste menus—are accelerating, and chefs are finding even more creative ways to use nutritious and sustainable ingredients. Unilever Food Solutions ( ufs ), a global leader in professional

into the cutting-edge menus of the future.

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First Course

to bring them to life. Below are the first four; head to FSRmagazine.com to check out the rest. 1. Irresistible Vegetables Most commonly thought of as side dishes, vegetables are taking cen ter stage as decadent, indulgent plant-based dishes at the center of the plate—without sacrificing on fla vor. Some veggies rising to the top are mushrooms, eggplants, parsnips, car rots, sweet potatoes, and beetroots. “Desserts are often associated with rich flavors such as butter, sugar, and cream. You can replace part of them with veg etables, especially root vegetables,” says Maurits van Vroenhoven, brand development lead chef for UFS in the Netherlands. 2. Modernized Comfort Food Timeless meals, like a classic tortellini pasta dish, can be modernized with a fresh spin. Chef Giuseppe Buscic chio, UFS executive lead chef for Italy, revised his pasta dough recipe for his Vegetable Charcoal and Saffron Tortel lini by using ready-to-use ingredients to mimic the color of river stones, filled with a hearty, slow-cooked beef osso bucco with mortadella Bolognese. 3. Low-waste Menus Making clever use of ingredients to help reduce food waste (as well as costs) is in everyone’s best interest. Low-waste menus use techniques that have been around for centuries, like fermenting, pickling, and curing, which not only extend the life of ingredients, but also create complex, umami flavors. 4. Wild and Pure Edible flowers, wild berries, seaweed, truffles, and wild mushrooms are a few examples of the top foraged ingre dients chefs are using to create tasty and sustainable dishes. Using locally sourced ingredients not only helps reduce the carbon footprint in food production, but also helps diners to feel a sense of connection to their home environment.

DESPITE INFLATION AND MARKET CONCERNS, tipping culture isn’t going anywhere. Toast data shows restaurant guests are still tipping generously, with tips at full service establishments averaging 19.6 percent in the fourth quarter. The state of Delaware had the highest average tip percentage of 21.8 percent at restau rants using the Toast platform in Q4. Hot Tip

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First Course

Cherry F ever Step aside blood oranges, another red-tinted superfood is gaining popularity across restaurant menus: tart cherries. As the demand for less sweet foods and beverages continues trending, the interest in sour flavors and concoctions is concurrently rising. Product innovation featuring tart cherries is up 94 percent in the past six years , according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database . For example, Ruth’s Chris Steak House recently integrated the ingredient into a limited-time menu offering featuring a filet with brussels sprouts, potatoes, and dried tart cher ries. The year-round availability in various forms—from dried to canned to frozen to juiced and more—only helps the superfruit’s case. Here are some facts and stats about the tart treat from Datassential : [ Tart cherries are nutrient-dense and are a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and copper, and research suggests Montmorency tart cherry juice may help aid exercise recovery

[ U.S.-grown Montmorency tart cherries contain natural melatonin , so try mixing some tart cherry juice in your herbal tea before bedtime as a sleep aid [ More than 80% of operators agree that the bright ruby-red color makes tart cherries an appealing option to add color in dishes

[ 70% of the nation’s tart cherries are grown in Michigan , while other top cherry producing

states include Utah, Washington, Oregon, New York, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania [ 70% of foodservice operators and consumers agree tart cherries are versatile for a variety of dishes, beverages, flavor combinations and dayparts

[ 92% of consumers prefer U.S.-grown tart cherries ver sus imported cherries

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Chefs & Ingredients

CULINARY INSPIRATION AND STORIES FROM INDUSTRY TRAILBLAZERS MENTIONED IN THIS SECTION BRASS TAP • • • THE ONE GROUP • • •

SPOON AND STABLE • •

• FOGO DE CHÃO

CHEF GAVIN KAYSEN LAUNCHED A VIRTUAL CLASS DURING COVID TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE AND TEACH THEM HOW TO MAKE SOME OF HIS FAVORITE AT-HOME DISHES, LIKE CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS AND A KALE AND SQUASH SALAD.

Stirring Pot(Roast) the

LIBBY ANDERSON

GAVIN KAYSEN CLOSES HIS EYES, listening to the noises of his Minneapolis res taurant, Spoon and Stable. The clinking of the glasses and silverware; the chat ter of guests; the sounds of his chefs chopping vegetables and roasting duck breast in the open kitchen. “I will never forget the second time we closed,” he recalls. “I genuinely had no idea when I was going to hear [those sounds] again, and it was terrifying.”

BY CALLIE EVERGREEN Chef and Soigne Hospitality founder Gavin Kaysen is taking the world by spoon.

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CHEFS & INGREDIENTS CHEF PROFILE

Kaysen had received word that in a few days, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz would give the orders to temporarily close dine-in bars and restaurants due to rising COVID cases—for the sec ond time. ough many others in the foodservice industry experienced simi lar situations during the past few years, Kaysen chose to think of it as an oppor tunity to innovate, and continues to choose to find pockets of light in the darkest of times. “As crazy as it sounds, I’m grateful we went through it. I think it made us a bet ter company, and I think it continues to make our profession a better profession,” he adds. Yet, he admits it will take time to heal after losing a generation of food service workers. “A lot of people left the business. at’s a lot of knowledge lost, with no system set in place to pass on that knowledge.” One way Kaysen chose to pass on

some of his culinary expertise was pub lishing a cookbook, which seems to be on every chef’s bucket list. Ful lling the dream appears to mark a milestone— a tangible way to say, “I’ve made it as a chef, and my recipes will live on forever.” But for Kaysen, the concept of his debut cookbook “At Home” began as a way to connect with his guests during a time when they couldn’t dine inside his Minneapolis-based restaurants, includ ing Demi, Bellecour Bakery, Mara, and Socca Cafe. And, of course, Spoon and Stable—named after Kaysen’s bad habit of “borrowing” spoons from restau rants and “forgetting” to return them. (He once told Food and Wine Magazine he has a collection of nearly 500 spoons pinched from restaurants around the world, many of which are displayed at his restaurant.) The two-time James Beard award winning chef got his start cooking in the

kitchen with his grandmother Dorothy, who he pays tribute to in his Midwest ern-inspired cookbook. Kaysen self-pub lished “At Home” under his label Spoon ief Publishing (a tting name) in Octo ber 2022. From Swedish pancakes to e Perfect Pot Roast with kale and squash salad, Kaysen walks readers through rec ipes he cooks at home for his family in addition to dishes passed down through generations. “Writing a cookbook can be a really hard experience for chefs,” he admits. “I’m a good chef, and a good restaurant owner, but I hate to write. I love to jour nal, but I hate to write.” e idea for compiling his recipes in a written format stemmed from a live, interactive mealtime series called “GK at Home,” which he launched in 2020 to virtually welcome guests into his home kitchen. e rst class garnered about 100 attendees, and by the third,

CHEF GAVIN KAYSEN

LIBBY ANDERSON

FAVORITE SPICE AT THE MOMENT: Sumac POST-SHIFT DRINK OF CHOICE: Sparkling water (really exciting!) FAVORITE GRANDMA DOROTHY DISH: Pot Roast BEST MUSICAL ARTIST TO COOK TO: Bruce Springsteen FAVORITE DISH AT SPOON & STABLE: Bison Tartar GO-TO COOKING UTENSIL: Spoon (Duh)

GAVIN KAYSEN’S COLLECTION OF MINNEAPOLIS RESTAURANTS INCLUDES SPOON AND STABLE, DEMI, BELLECOUR BAKERY (BOTTOM RIGHT), MARA (ABOVE), AND SOCCA CAFE.

DON RIDDLE / ELIESA JOHNSON / BELLECOUR BAKERY

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CHEFS & INGREDIENTS CHEF PROFILE

Serra walk out the door and throw the sandwich in the trash. It turned out Serra was evaluating Kaysen’s work ethic and customer service skills. “In his mind, he was just sort of watching me interact with these guests or customers,” he recalls. Serra told Kay sen he had a “real gift with food,” and that he had the potential to cook for a living. Kaysen went on to work for Serra at Pasta Time, where he “fell in love with everything about this business, and I knew that I would do this the rest of my life,” he says. At 28, Kaysen began working with famed French chef Daniel Boulud, serv ing as executive chef and director of culi nary operations and overseeing Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach, Florida; Toronto; and New York City. He likens that time in his life to earning his Ph.D. in the food business, and says Boulud “embodies what hospitality is all about.” “He has that talent that very few peo ple have, that he connects with so many people throughout his company that are not only willing to walk through a wall for him, but are inspired by him and through him on a daily basis,” Kaysen says about Boulud. In addition to emulating that sen timent with his chefs and team mem bers at his own restaurants under Soigne Hospitality, Kaysen also brought back with him the French idea of prioritizing a locally- and seasonally-driven menu. “For us, we took a pretty prominent stance in understanding the grain cul ture here,” he says. “And in our case, pas tas, the bread program that we focus on, the proteins such as duck when that’s in season, pork, which is always in season … we tend to kind of stay in our Midwest ern lane that way.” For example, one of the sides at Spoon and Stable is creamy spinach with cheese curds—which might not work as well in a place like New York, Kaysen notes. “We want to be a little bit playful, we want to be a little bit whimsical, but we also just really want the food to be deli cious,” he adds. “And ultimately, I think that’s what it comes down to—how do you create delicious food?”

CHEF GAVIN KAYSEN WANTED TO CREATE A COOKBOOK PEOPLE WOULD ACTUALLY USE. NOW, HE RECEIVES PHOTOS FROM READERS WHO COOKED HIS DISHES TO NEAR PERFECT REPLICATION.

LIBBY ANDERSON

Kaysen’s class was averaging more than 1,000 people, cooking alongside him in their homes. After reopening his restau rants, however, Kaysen no longer had time to host GK at Home, which sparked the idea to turn all the content he cre ated into a cookbook. “We were testing out the recipes with real people, so we were learning in real time, ‘oh, you know what, you can’t just say salt, tell them what kind of salt; you can’t just tell them two to four minutes, you’ve got to tell them what it’s supposed to look like, what does it feel like,” Kay sen notes. “We just started to learn all these really fascinating things that as a chef, when I cook at home, I don’t even think about.” “Now I get messages on Instagram from people that have cooked dishes from my book, take a picture of their dish and the book, and it looks the same. And it’s like, oh my god, it worked,” he adds. “I really wanted to create a book that people will use; a lot of chefs create cookbooks that nobody will use.”

Kaysen admits reopening his res taurants felt “50 times more di cult” than closing them down. Remember ing routines and re-training employees felt especially daunting as customers returned in droves, hungrier than ever for hospitality and a greatly-missed din ing experience. “I think COVID did give a peek into our ecosystem where people could look at it and say, wow, I guess I didn’t real ize all of this was associated with a res taurant,” he says. Embodying hospitality Kaysen’s foodservice career kicked o when he was 15 years old and began working at a Subway in Edina, Minne sota. ere, he learned the value of being detail-oriented, especially when it came to interacting with guests. When reg ulars came in, Kaysen had their orders memorized—including a tuna sh sand wich for George Serra, the owner of the fast-casual pasta restaurant next door. But every Saturday, Kaysen would watch

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CHEFS & INGREDIENTS NOW SERVING

The Brunch Boom

BY SAM DANLEY Non-breakfast brands are embracing the revenue-generating daypart.

THE LOBSTER AND EGGS BENEDICT IS A POPULAR BRUNCH CHOICE AT THE ONE GROUP’S STK RESTAURANTS.

THE ONE GROUP

NOT QUITE BREAKFAST. Not quite lunch. The late-morning and mid-after noon brunch daypart is more than a meal. It’s a social experience, and one that consumers are hungry for coming out of the pandemic. Opportunities exist for non-break fast brands to carve out their share of the brunch segment. When executed correctly, the daypart can be a solid rev enue generator for restaurants that have traditionally focused on dinner service. That’s been the case for The ONE

Group, parent company of Kona Grill and STK, where brunch has become a core business for both concepts. Eman uel “Manny” Hilario, president and CEO of The ONE Group, says the idea came from the hotels where the company pro vides food and beverage services. “We saw the strong demand and suc cess of the brunch daypart at the hotel properties in which we operate, and we identified that there was a customer need and a supply shortfall that we could fill nationally with the addition of a qual

ity brunch offering with a highly differ entiated vibe,” he says. The ONE Group started testing brunch at both restaurants in 2020, developing programs that fit within each brand’s identity. Kona Grill is known for its sushi and seafood, while STK’s approach to fine dining blends a chic lounge atmosphere with a modern steakhouse experience. The key to winning at brunch for both brands involved crafting a menu that’s fun for guests to interact with, featuring items that Hilario says are both “crave

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Steve Chu Ekiben Fells Point, MD

YOUR PEP. OUR PEPPER.

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able and Instagrammable.” “ e customer wants their friends to know they are out at brunch,” he says. “ e greatest metric we have to illustrate our success would be how viral brunch has become, and how guests interact with the brands on digital during this daypart. The camera eats first, and it most certainly does at brunch.” Kona Grill features signature items like the Rocky Mountain Omelet, Spicy Lobster Avocado Toast, and Macadamia Nut French Toast. For STK, there’s Hot Chicken Wa e, Smoked Pork Belly Bene

rolling out a brunch program in 2021. The idea came from a franchisee who opened a unit that fell short of expec tations, so he orchestrated a comeback with a three-hour weekend brunch pro gram. Weekend sales at that store pro ceeded to triple, catching the attention of the company’s leadership. “We picked up the ball and ran with it,” says Stan Dorsey, The Brass Tap’s executive chef. “We tested it, brought it back, took notes, and kept working at it. One thing we had to consider is that not every distribution center has the same

Dorsey says. “But if you have the storage and the equipment, and you can nd the labor, it’s a pretty easy thing to do.” Non-breakfast brands may shy away from brunch for fear of extra costs and added complexity, but Dorsey says it tends to be a low-cost segment. Break fast foods typically carry lower costs, and high-margin alcoholic beverages can increase pro tability by driving up check averages and enhancing the guest experience. “One of the big advantages with brunch is that you get to bring the booze along. Mimosas, screwdrivers, and things like that have great costs,” Dorsey says. “Every dollar that’s spent at brunch is a dollar that we wouldn’t have if our doors were closed, so it’s de nitely a big deal for franchisees.” Fogo de Chão added a brunch pro gram back in 2016 to expand its week end capacity. Seven years later, the pro gram is still going strong, and CEO Barry McGowan has a key piece of advice for non-breakfast brands adding the daypart. “Complexity is the death knell of res taurants. If you’re changing your model and adding all these components you don’t already have, it can be dilutive and you lose your return,” he says. “My feed back is always to stick to your strengths. Make sure you can execute against what your version of brunch is for your brand.” Fogo de Chão’s brunch program fea tures a Market Table with exotic fruits, imported charcuterie, Belgian wa es, made-to-order omelets, and more. Prep cooks are brought out from the back to prepare wa es and omelets on weekends, but most of the program centers around repurposing existing o erings. e pro duce and proteins served at brunch are the same items available at dinner. ey’re just bundled and displayed in a more breakfast-centric format. “We shift SKUs, we merchandise it di erently, and we price it di erently,” McGowan says. “We go through brunch and wait until it’s depleted in the after noon. en, it just starts to turn over into dinner. It’s an easy transition. at’s why it worked so well, and that’s why it keeps building.”

FOGO DE CHÃO’S BRUNCH PROGRAM FOCUSES ON REPURPOSING THE CHAIN’S EXISTING MENU OFFERINGS.

FOGO DE CHÃO

dict, and even a wagyu burger which includes a 7-ounce beef patty, American cheese, bacon, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, onion, and special sauce. “Brunch requires a strong element of balancing comfort food, like eggs, sau sage, and bacon, with more interesting trial items like benedicts with caviar,” Hilario says. “Offering comfort food like our egg white omelet and cinnamon French toast creates a path to experi ment with new things like our smoked pork belly benedict and wagyu burger.” Similar to e ONE Group, an upscale pub concept also began experimenting with implementing brunch offerings during the pandemic. Known for its craft beer and live music, e Brass Tap began

exact products. When you’re scattered all over the country, it’s about nding products that are available everywhere, so you can’t do regional stu . You need to be a little more mainstream.” e Brass Tap landed with a menu that features wa es, biscuits, burritos, and breakfast skillets, and of course, mimo sas and sangria. Dorsey says around 30 of the 50-unit chain’s stores o er brunch. ose that haven’t added the program tend to be older units that don’t have the same equipment package, or smaller stores with limited kitchen capacity. “You’ve also got to have the storage space for new products, because there are a lot of things that you didn’t have before that are only used on the weekend,”

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Why Operators Should Think of Oil Management As a Controllable Expense Costs have inflated. Are operators thinking about their deep-fryer oil enough? BY CHARLIE POGACAR

tise in the field. For example, the company sells high performing high-oleic oils that typically have a longer fry life when com pared to commodity oils. Stratas Foods also offers a Fry Test Kit, a tool that helps operators and team members follow certain protocols to ensure fry life is maximized. Each kit comes with bilingual instructions that out line best practices when it comes to fil tering and skimming oil. The kit is part of Stratas Foods’ ongoing efforts to educate its client partners on how to extend fry life and ultimately lower costs. “We try to educate the operator and their entire staff,” Guentz says. “That could be a single one-off operator, a local chain, a regional chain, or a national chain. We will commit to go in and train the staff and train the people in the trenches. Because the people who work with the food ulti mately are the ones who are going to maintain oil.” With everything continuing to inflate, it makes sense why operators are hesitant to spend more on goods right now, Guentz says. But thinking of it as spending more is the wrong way to look at it, he adds. The way a customer should view it, is not cost per case—but cost per day.

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A ccording to recent data from the National Restaurant Association, 94 percent of operators said their operating costs—including supplies—were higher in 2022 than they were in 2019. The National Restaurant Association found that oper ating costs were up an average of 16.7 per cent since 2019 across the entire foodser vice industry. This has left operators grasping at straws, looking to cut costs in any possible place. There’s one area that John Guentz, director of sales at Stratas Foods, believes hasn’t received enough attention: deep fryer oil management. There is no short age of ways the average oil management program could be improved, Guentz says, to help cut operating costs and improve overall profitability. In the process, food will have better flavor, and oil will need to be changed less often. “There are so many ways that could

“It all adds up to better food, retaining customers, and helping out the bottom line.”

help save them money in the long run, but it would also help them develop that operational excellence they’re all striv ing toward,” Guentz says. “It all adds up to better food, retaining customers, and helping out the bottom line.” Is staff skimming oil enough? Are they switching oil out on a designated day at a designated time rather than when oil no longer has any fry life left? These are questions Stratas helps address with its offering of products, as well as exper “We provide a valuable service,” Guentz says. “We tailor our solutions to what each client’s biggest pain points are. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all oil program. If we sell an operator an oil program, we look after your food quality and your bottom line.” è FOR MORE, VISIT STRATASFOODS.COM.

MAY 2023

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TRENDS AND CREATIVE APPROACHES TO SPIRITS, WINE, AND BEER. MENTIONED IN THIS STORY BJ’S RESTAURANT & BREWHOUSE • • •

NESHAMINY CREEK BREWING

Subscribe

Imbibe to

BJ’S BEER CLUB GIVES BREW MASTERS THE SPACE TO CREATE MORE NICHE BEERS AND SMALL BATCH PRODUCTS FOR MEMBERS TO TRY OUT.

BJ’S RESTAURANT & BREWHOUSE

EVERYONE WANTS TO FEEL like they’re a part of something special and exclusive. And, especially since the pandemic, people are starved for social connections in fun settings more than ever. (You can only binge

Ted Lasso and Seinfeld so many times before your eyes start to glaze over.) Enter: beer clubs, which offer members rare brews and other perks while drawing in both die-hard craft beer enthusiasts as well as the brew

BY CALLIE EVERGREEN Brands beyond Netflix have recognized the power of the subscription model.

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LIQUID INTELLIGENCE

curious. And for restaurants, the sub scription model has long-standing ben e ts, from recurring revenue and the ability to experiment with small-batch products to receiving advantageous feed back from what’s essentially a focus group made up of fans. “Our Beer Club members have been so excited by the opportunity to try brand new beers that aren’t available to the public,” says Heidi Rogers, senior vice president of marketing at BJ’s Restau rant & Brewhouse. Plus, “members not only enjoy the beer perks, but love bring ing their friends and family to share the complimentary pizza and Pizookies.” BJ’s was originally founded in South ern California in 1978 with a “Califor nia twist on deep-dish pizza,” and has grown to more than 200 locations. BJ’s seven breweries craft all beers served at its locations nationwide. Before BJ’s launched its Beer Club to the broader California market, the team did extensive research and tested the model for eight months in its Sacra mento-based restaurants, Rogers notes. “We wanted to make sure that this was a really great value, so we took into consideration all of the aspects of the guest experience from the main course, to the dessert, and of course the beer, and found a way to add value to each aspect,” she says. “We factored in what our guests’ favorites

a success, BJ’s decided to expand the pro gram to the rest of California. Since then, the brand has made a few changes based on club member feedback. “We’ve also found that Beer Club members are particularly excited about the experiential part of being in a club, so we’ve hosted regional events for them to meet with brewers and other beer club members to encourage the feeling of community our Beer Club brings,” Rog ers says. Upon initially signing up for the BJ’s Brewhouse Beer Club, members receive an Intro Pack that includes a bottle of Imperial White Ale, a six-pack of any BJ’s Handcrafted Signature Beer, and a Founding Member pint glass. Each new beer release, which occurs every other month, includes two beer types that are only available to Beer Club members. BJ’s master brewing team has won more than 220 beer awards, and each year, tests more than 150 beers and selects a few to be released nation ally. “We’re constantly pushing the lim

its of beer making in order to craft some thing worthy of our guests,” Rogers says. BJ’s Beer Club members are auto matically enrolled in the BJ’s Premier Rewards program, which includes unlimited upgrades (16-ounce to 20-ounce beers) in restaurant, one large deep dish or tavern-cut pizza per two month period, a Pizookie and appetizer per two-month when dining in, and $10 back for every $100 spent. “Our club members receive all of these perks, as well as a sense of community with other beer enthusiasts,” Rogers says. Since launching its beer club, BJ’s has experienced increased visits and spend from members in restaurants, who are adopting an omnichannel experi ence more than ever, Rogers explains. Because of that, BJ’s is considering scal ing to other locations based on demand and what is logistically possible. “As for our brewing and other BJ’s team members, we are able to give our brewers the space to create more niche beers and small-batch products than they

are as well as convenience which is why we offer in restaurant and at-home value.” After receiving pos itive responses from the first Beer Club members and considering the launch

EACH YEAR, BJ’S MASTER BREWING TEAM TESTS MORE THAN 150 BEERS AND SELECTS A FEW TO BE RELEASED NATIONALLY TO ITS 200-PLUS LOCATIONS.

BJ’S RESTAURANT & BREWHOUSE

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LIQUID INTELLIGENCE

and marketing at Neshaminy. “It was just kind of a way, especially after COVID and stuff, [of] trying to make a little bit more of like a tight-knit group of beer people, because it used to be much more of a community-focused thing,” Park says. “And then as craft beer has grown, you kind of lost some of that. So [we’re] just trying to build a little bit of that back.” For an annual fee of $100, mem bers—capped at 100 people the first year—receive a 10 percent discount on beer, wine, and cocktails at all locations, with a double discount of 20 percent on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (which have traditionally been slower traffic days). “If it were me, and I knew I got a little bit of an extra discount and I was going out anyway on Tuesday or Wednesday, yeah, I would go there. So that was kind of the thinking behind it,” Park says. “And we have food trucks every night. So that’s your easy night out during the week.” Additionally, members get an exclu sive member glass, a T-shirt, a free birth day beer, invitations to exclusive Creek Club parties, and priority access to lim ited-release brews and events. After launching the portal to sign up for the Creek Club in January as first-come, first-serve, Neshaminy quickly reached its cap of 100 people—though it may expand to more members in the future. While Neshaminy is small enough to try out-of-the-box events—like “Dracula Day” in March where customers came dressed as vampires—Park notes res taurants that launch beer clubs can ben efit in more ways than one by creating something special for guests to look for ward to. “Now we have this little focus group of people that we know, who know our brand and are familiar with us,” Park says. “We can use them as a resource to be like, hey, come pick up this can of something new, we want feedback on this beer, or what events would you like us to bring back?” [We’re] cultivating that taproom cul ture again, after all the chaos of the last few years,” he adds.

“Now we have this little focus group…We can use them as a resource to be like, hey, come pick up this can of something new, we want feedback on this beer, or what events would you like us to bring back?”

NESHAMINY’S CREEK CLUB IS ELEVATING ITS TAPROOM CULTURE WITH DIE HARD CRAFT BEER LOVERS, AND GIVING THOSE MEMBERS SPECIAL PERKS AND DISCOUNTS AS INCENTIVES TO VISIT MORE OFTEN.

otherwise would, and we love interacting with club members when they stop in to pick up their bi-monthly subscription and talk all things beer,” she adds. In February, Neshaminy Creek Brew ing—an award-winning craft brew ery, beer garden, and taproom with

three locations north of Philadelphia— launched a beer membership program. The slowdown in traffic following COVID and a desire to give back to regulars and get them excited about something new drove the decision to launch The Creek Club, explains Kyle Park, director of sales

NESHAMINY CREEK BREWING COMPANY (2)

MAY 2023

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KANDI BURRUSS DREW INSPIRATION FROM THE THREE MATRIARCHS IN HER FAMILY— JOYCE, BERTHA, AND NORA— WHILE CREATING OLD LADY GANG, WHICH DEBUTED IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA IN 2016.

D e MORRIS MARABLE

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KANDI BURRUSS

RE A LI TY RE S TA U RA NT FROM TO

KANDI BURRUSS is a Grammy Award– winning songwriter. She’s starred on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” for more than 13 years, won Fox’s “The Masked Singer,” and appeared on CBS’s ”Big Brother.” She’s the owner of Kandi Koated Entertainment, Bedroom Kandi, and Kandi Koated Cosmetics. She’s a producer in television, film, and on Broadway. But none of those ventures compare—at least in terms of difficulty— to what she and husband Todd Tucker have experienced while running Atlanta culinary staples, Old Lady Gang and Blaze Steak & Seafood. "I always tell people that the restaurant industry is the hardest business that I've ever been a part of ever in my life," Burruss says. "There are a lot of things that we had to learn and that we are still learning." The idea to enter the food and beverage space came from Tucker, who fondly remembers Sunday dinners with Burruss’s family at her aunt Ber tha’s house. They would enjoy "amazing feasts of Southern cuisine," hang out, and play Pokeno and Tonk. The gathering was routine for Burruss. But for Tucker, a Bronx, New York, native, it was an immersive, Southern expe rience of family and friends that he wasn’t used to in the Northeast. "It felt like Thanksgiving, but every Sunday," Tucker says. "So then I was like, ‘Man, we should recreate this and let other people have this same feeling.’" BY BEN COLEY

‘Real Housewives’ star, award winning songwriter, and entrepreneur Kandi Burruss is making her mark on the Atlanta dining scene—and doing it with her signature flair.

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