Archive for the ‘Beverages’ Category
Winemaker says flexibility is key in hosting pairing dinners
An increasing number of wineries — big and small, locally and globally owned — are holding wine pairing dinners at restaurants across the country. SmartBrief’s Liz DeHoff recently talked with Ben Parsons, winemaker at Denver’s Infinite Monkey Theorem winery, about the wine pairing dinners it holds for its fans in partnership with local restaurants. IMT [...]
Will customization lead beverage trends in 2012?
One of the expected food trends for next year is familiar favorites with a twist, according to Technomic. I reached out to Givaudan product manager Kim Carson to learn her thoughts on what trends are expected for the beverage industry and how foodservice operators can spot them. What can seem exotic on menus has become [...]
3 trends from the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show
The Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show rolled through Washington, D.C., during the weekend, bringing with it celebrity chefs, presenters and hundreds of exhibitors who showed off wares including kitchen utensils and gourmet food. The event was the show’s sixth in the nation’s capital. Chef Paula Deen celebrated her fifth year with the D.C. show. The [...]
Virginia sees gun crimes drop a year after law allows weapons in bars
In the fall, we told you about Tennessee and other states that enacted laws allowing patrons with permits to bring handguns into bars, provided they don’t drink. There’s follow-up from Virginia showing that gun crimes at bars and restaurants declined in the year after a concealed-carry law took effect. The Richmond Times-Dispatch analyzed statistics since [...]
How to sell wine to your diners in a recession
SmartBrief recently talked with Jeff Riggs, a sales representative with Summit Distributing, which is part of Beverage Distributors Co. Riggs has been a sales representative for the past 10 years with BDC and works predominately with restaurants. In the past decade or two, we’ve seen Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina break through to U.S. [...]
What are your guests drinking?
What are thirsty restaurant guests ordering to go with their meals? Most are still opting for soda, according to new data from Beverage Marketing Corp., although Americans drank nearly seven gallons less per capita last year than they did in 2005, according to a story in Advertising Age. Bottled water came in a distant but [...]
Don’t underestimate the importance of ice
One sight that can really get a restaurant-goer excited is that of a glistening, pristine, perfectly formed … ice cube. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but ice really is essential to almost every restaurant. It gets served to most guests, has to be stocked at all times, and must be stored in special, subfreezing conditions. SmartBrief [...]
Q-and-A: Dave Hinton, Washington, D.C., bartender
Dave Hinton was recently named the best bartender in Washington, D.C., by On Tap Magazine. He practices his mixing and pouring skills at The Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille at the Verizon Center, the arena where the Capitals and the Wizards play. SmartBrief recently asked Hinton a few questions about bartending in the city. [...]
OpenTable debate, food bloggers and the best TV food shows
Every week, Restaurant SmartBrief editors scour the Internet for the breaking news and best-practices stories that restaurant owners and managers need to make their businesses smarter. However, every week, hundreds of fascinating food, beverage and restaurant stories don’t make the cut. Here are a few of my favorite stories from the past week that didn’t [...]
Bruegger’s French owner brings new brands to the table
Bruegger’s Enterprises was acquired last week by Le Duff America, the North American subsidiary of the French firm Groupe Le Duff SA, which operates 60 La Madeleine Cafes in North America as well as a variety of French café and bakery brands across Europe and South America. Bruegger’s opened its first bagel shop in Vermont [...]
