Your feedback is important to us. Click here to email us your feedback.

National Restaurant Association SmartBrief

November 5, 2009

On the Front Burner

Some restaurants stocking up at wine auctions
As many fine-dining restaurants pare down their wine cellars through auctions, eateries both casual and upscale are taking advantage of the sales to stock their own racks. Morton's Restaurant has added to its wine list, offering less pricey vintages to guests who once sought $100-plus bottles, while California Pizza Kitchen has added more upscale offerings for its casual dining customers. Reuters (11/4)

Restaurant News

Landry's Restaurants agrees to buyout
Landry's Restaurants has agreed to sell itself to its chairman and chief executive, Tilman Fertitta. The deal values Landry's, which owns Rainforest Cafe and operates the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas, at $14.75 a share, or $238 million. Landry's said it would sell $550 million of debt to help finance the deal. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (11/4) Food Business Review (11/3)

Illinois eatery's meals challenge the hungriest guests
Nobody finishes the skillet meals at Johnny's Kitchen & Tap in Glenview, Ill., even a restaurant reviewer who makes his living evaluating giant meals. Despite his rave for the restaurant's Chicken al Forno -- half a wood-roasted chicken and a pound and a half of penne pasta, cooked with tomatoes, vegetables, marinara sauce and cheese -- reviewer Irv Leavitt took home enough food to serve leftovers for three. Pioneer Press newspaper group (Glenview, Ill.) (11/5)

Blending Latin, Asian cuisine at D.C.'s new Masa 14 restaurant
The new Masa 14 restaurant in Washington, D.C., required more than a change in location for chef Antonio Burrell. Burrell went from cooking for a British-themed gastropub to focusing on chilies and ginger for the Latin-Asian restaurant. In addition to its small plates of tuna sashimi flatbread and pork belly "tacos" on Asian buns, Masa 14 boasts one of the city's largest bars with more than 100 choices of tequila. The Washington Post (11/4)

Pizza Hut nets $1 million with iPhone application
Pizza Hut's iPhone application has brought in $1 million in sales in three months, the company said. The application, which has been downloaded by nearly a million people, allows users to order food and play games. It also gives them a 20% discount on all orders. MarketingVOX (11/4)

Innovation & Ideas

Morton's president: Face time with workers brings success
Despite having 5,000 employees in 81 locations worldwide, Edie Ames, president of Morton's The Steakhouse, is a hands-on manager. Getting face time with the boss helps build long-term relationships, Ames says, which is why she meets with hourly employees as well as her management team regularly. "I really want all 5,000 employees to know that we make decisions based on their feedback," Ames says. Forbes (11/3)

Bar tabs set to shrink in 2010
Bars and restaurants are likely to see alcohol sales drop by about 2.5% next year, with casual full-service restaurants and fine-dining establishments taking the biggest hits, according to a new report from Technomic. Wine sales are expected to fall the most, while beer sales are likely to decline the least. Restaurants shouldn't cut happy hours and other specials based on the predicted declines, but should tailor them to the tighter market, said Technomic Vice President David Henkes. PizzaMarketplace.com (11/4)

Menu Trends

Growers clamor to promote nuts' health benefits
After years of being shunned because of their high caloric content, nuts are getting a second look, thanks to news that they pack a lot of health benefits in their little shells. Scientists discovered that nuts can lower the risk of clogged arteries, stabilize blood sugar and decrease appetites. The health benefits can vary by the nut, so growers are flooding the market with promos on their nuts' nutritional profiles. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Better Health blog (11/4)

Getting the best out of farmers markets
Payton Curry, a chef at Caffe Boa in Tempe, Ariz., offers tips for those foodies overwhelmed by various choices found at farmers markets. Curry recommends planning as you shop how you want to prepare the food to avoid bringing home unneeded items. And once you get the food home, skip the fussy sauces and instead rely on the powerful flavors found in the food's freshness, he says. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (11/2)

Environmental Sustainability

Austin restaurant recycles, drastically cuts waste
Barr Mansion Artisan Ballroom in Austin, Texas, has eliminated the need for trash bins by instituting an aggressive recycling program, according to R&I blogger Michael Oshman. By labeling composting buckets, training employees and creating clear signage that reinforced lessons on recycling do's and don'ts, Barr Mansion managed to cut its waste by 98% in one month. Restaurants & Institutions/The Green Line blog (free registration) (11/2009)

The Buzz (CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)

A Perfect Fit for Work — SFC Froggz™ Pro
What makes our SFC Froggz™ collection so comfortable? The secret behind our SFC Froggz™ styles is that they are molded entirely from a lightweight, compressed foam polymer called Ethylene Vinyl Acetate, or EVA. These styles are also highly durable and have an anti-bacterial treatment. View the whole collection at www.shoesforcrews.com.

Association News

Submit topics for NRA Show 2010, IWSB sessions
The Association is looking for timely, relevant and exciting topics for education sessions at the 2010 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event. Industry leaders and trendsetters should submit proposals on trends and solutions to help restaurant and foodservice operators succeed. Submit potential topics by Dec. 4.

TrendMapper helps you make smart decisions
What have food prices done in the last few months? What are the latest trends in customer traffic? Which industry segments are reporting same-store sales gains? Do you know the answers to these questions? Subscribers to Restaurant TrendMapper do, and they use them to make smarter business decisions. Click here to find out more.