May Food Holidays

May offers some great days for food lovers. Check out this site for a full list.

May is officially:

National BBQ Month

National Egg Month

National Hamburger Month

National Salad Month

National Salsa Month

National Strawberry Month

And the month has many days devoted to individual items, including:

National Chocolate Parfait Day – May 1

National Orange Juice Day – May 4

National Roast Leg of Lamb Day – May 7

National Butterscotch Brownie Day – May 9

National Shrimp Day – May 10

National Buttermilk Biscuit Day – May 14

National Cherry Cobbler Day – May 17

National Vanilla Pudding Day – May 22

National Wine Day – May 25

National Blueberry Cheesecake Day – May 26

National Grape Popsicle Day – May 27

National Macaroon Day – May 31

Stellar Restaurant Service for All Ages

I read a lot of articles last year that focused on serving a restaurant’s youngest patrons—articles packed with healthy kids’ menu ideas, entertainment ideas, and service tips to keep toddlers and their parents happy.  What about the other end of the customer spectrum, though?  I rarely read articles that discuss the best approaches to serving a growing demographic: seniors.  Today was an exception, however, when I came across Paul Paz’s contribution at FohBoh.com.  He offers immediately useful tips on how to give senior diners the best service possible.  It starts with such simple adjustments as offering split tickets up front—to having a pair of reading glasses handy.

 

Have a look at Paul Paz’s article and share your thoughts.  How does your establishment cater to senior customers?

Restaurant Promos: Last Chance for Lent

I just read an article on USA Today’s site about McDonald’s new(-ish) Filet-O-Fish TV spot that’s seen over a million views on YouTube. The video is pretty funny, but I am even more impressed with the Filet-O-Fish’s sales. A full quarter of the sandwich’s annual sales are made during Lent, and I thought it would be interesting to see what other restaurants (chains and independents alike) are doing to promote their non-meat offerings on Fridays. (Reminder: If your eatery hasn’t done any promotion yet, you’ve got one last Friday to give it a go.)

So what promos have you done, participated in, or heard of during this Lenten season? (Of course, if you’re in need of any seafood service items, just give us a call at 800-797-3788 or visit www.Servu-Online.com.)

Restaurants Cash in on Madness

–“March Madness,” that is.  According to Peter Romeo–one of my preferred industry bloggers–this fast-paced season of basketball eliminations is an important time for promotions in the restaurant industry.  Some try plying diners with basketball-related deals.  Others highlight their dining room bigscreen TVs, perfect for catching a game with some friends.  Is your restaurant planning any special menu additions?  Basketball-themed restaurant décor?  How do you keep guests coming back for more in these sometimes less-than-inspiring early spring days?  Personally, I can’t wait for the days when outdoor dining is back with the patio furniture and market umbrellas!

Superbowl Commercials Payoff for Some

According to this article in Adweek some companies got a boost on Twitter after their commercials aired during Sunday’s Superbowl.

The article says that, of all the commercials during the game, those belonging to food-related businesses had the biggest increase in messages with their name on Twitter. Denny’s had the biggest increase after their commercials offering free breakfasts aired. The number of “twits” about them jumped substantially.

Did you Twit about any commercials after the game? Do you ever Twitter about businesses?

The Battle of the Brands

Television commercials are heating up as brands start to fight against each other.

Recent television commercials have featured one brand proclaiming their dominance over another in recent weeks. One of these commercials is Domino’s new commercial for their oven-baked subs, which they compare to Subway’s sandwiches. Another commercial features Captain D’s promoting themselves against Red Lobster.

While the companies fight it out with each other over these claims and the accompanying commercials, it is up to the consumers to decide where to eat. Domino’s even unveiled their newest commercial during American Idol, which is well known to draw a large audience and thus more potential customers.

So do these commercials impact your decision of where to eat? Do you even notice commercials anymore or do you skip by them with you DVR? Let us know.

Techno in the Kitchen

My beau recently acquired an iPhone, so that means that I’m the proud new owner of his old iTouch. I can’t speak highly enough of both of them so far; they render the web is it’s meant to be seen, and there’s an application for just about anything your heart desires. According to the New York Times, cool apps, web access, and more are even making gadgets like these into a sort of kitchen phenom. At-home cooks and big time chefs alike are taking advantage of recipe websites, grocery list making apps, recipe conversion apps, and more to make their kitchens more organized and their cooking more adventurous.

I, for one, have definitely looked up recipes online through the iPhone and kept it handy to use as a reference while cooking. I’ve also got a grocery list app, and there’s such an abundant foodie community out there with so many ideas, that I’m sometimes convinced to try a recipe I never would’ve sought out on my own. I’ve even purchased a few kitchen gadgets in pursuit of cooking nirvana.

And when I don’t feel like cooking, I’ve got the internet at my fingertips to Google the best local eateries for a meal out. Come to think of it, I use the iTouch more for food than just about anything else! What about other cooks and foodies out there; do you use a mobile device of some kind to help with cooking/finding restaurants? What’s your favorite technology in the kitchen?

Caffeine and Community

If you’re like me, you probably long for the good ol’ days when you stopped for a gourmet coffee every morning on the way to work (sigh).  How about some temporary relief?  According to Businessweek’s site, Starbucks is offering just that—one free coffee for the price of a little volunteerism.  From January 21^st through January 25^th, all you have to do is sign a pledge card to donate five hours of time to a local cause of your choice.  The promotion is set to coincide with the inauguration of Barack Obama as President; part of his campaign platform was a call for more community service.

 

Caffeine and community—I’m thinking it’s a great combination….and it may just lead to increased coffee sales.  (Dare I hope for a report from Starbucks post-promo?)

Breakfast Drinks are Taking Off

A new trend in the breakfast scene is the emergence of drinks as both main event and wonderful accompaniment.

This article talks about how new, exciting drink flavors are coming out to entice those who might normally stick to plain coffee, juice, or tea. According to the article juices other than orange are starting to become popular as diners realize that other flavors can go perfectly with their favorite breakfast picks. The same is true with coffees and teas as places like Starbucks continue to increase their menu offerings.

What’s your favorite breakfast drink? Do you have a favorite drink and food combo?

Chefs in the News: White House Cooking

Foodie bloggers have been buzzing about it since the election results came in; who would become the new White House chef in chief?  The speculation ended this morning when it was announced that the Obamas have elected to keep Cristeta Comerford on as the official White House chef.  Hired by Laura Bush in 2005, Comerford is the first woman to head the White House kitchens.  According to Wikipedia, Comerford is also the first White House chef of Filipino descent.  Comerford was reportedly chosen for her good reputation with the Bush family and her “perspective on the importance of healthy eating and healthy families,” according to Michelle Obama.

 

So it turns out there won’t be a “celebrity” at the helm of the White House kitchens, but a remarkable chef nonetheless.  So “mabuhay” (cheers) to Chef Comerford!